SUMMER HARVEST GAZPACHO

It's tomato season! And if you're like me, you can't pass up a ripe, juicy looking tomato, let alone the rest of the farmer's market stand... and this is the perfect recipe to use up all those fresh purchases! This cold, chunky soup tastes like summer in a bowl, utilizing the bounties of the farm (or your garden!). It's the perfect cool replacement for a dinner salad or serve it as a no-cook dinner one hot evening. So incorporate some more veggies into your diet- there is no better opportunity that eating this gazpacho!

INGREDIENTS:
1 english cucumber
3 large tomatoes
1 small sweet onion
1 red, yellow, or green bell pepper: stem, seeds, and ribs removed
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups vegetable juice
2 tbs. white vinegar
3 tbs. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
1-2 tbs. hot sauce (such as Frank's or Tabasco)
1 tbs. extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
-remove seeds from the tomatoes and cut into 1/4 inch square pieces
-cut cucumber, bell pepper, and onion into 1/4 square pieces
-place cut vegetables into a large bowl
-mix in minced garlic
-pour in vegetable juice, vinegars, olive oil, and hot sauce
-season with salt and pepper
-serve chilled, and enjoy!

serves approximately 5-6

SHOUT OUTS:
This recipe was developed for my mom, a lover of gazpacho!

TIPS and ADAPTATIONS:
-Add in fresh herbs such as parsley, chives, cilantro, dill, tarragon, and basil.
-Serve with a few homemade (or store bought...!) croutons on top!
-Spice it up more with a diced jalapeno!
-Use a red, green, or yellow bell pepper, or a combination of all 3! total: about 1 cup chopped pepper.
-Give it a boost of protein and add some cooked chopped shrimp or crab or a cupful of garbanzo beans!
-Sweeten it up with some chopped mango or watermelon, using orange juice instead of vegetable juice.
-Skip the vegetable juice, and make it into a salsa.
-Try mixing in some crumbled feta cheese or chunks of fresh mozzarella.
-If you don't want it spicy, leave out the hot sauce! Or if you want it spicier, add a tablespoon or two more!
-Don't want it so chunky? Put the 'soup' in a blender or food processor and give it a few pulses- viola! Smooth gazpacho.