Gazpacho

I didn't really start learning to cook until a couple years ago. It was a skill of necessity: I was moving into my first apartment, and I was keenly aware that if I didn't learn to cook, I would likely starve. So, I spent my summer cooking eggs about fourty different ways. But I've expanded my repertoire since then.

There is a small handful recipes that have become my personal specialties. Recently, my mom asked me for my meatloaf recipe - a point of pride, as my mom is an excellent cook. I have an obsession with Japanese food, and so I've tried okonomiyaki, onigiri and gyoza, and I've loved all of them. I also have my own interpretation of a family oatmeal cookie recipe that my friends love.

But I'm told that, of all the recipes I've attempted (which, admittedly, is very few thus far) the ones I truly excel at are soups. This leaves me with a bit of a problem for the next two years, as Texas is in a hot climate, and soup is really a winter recipe. Enter: How to Make Cold Soups 101. Let's call it a subset of my usual adventures in the world of cooking, or as I like to call them, "cooking experiments."

I decided first to try gazpacho. As it turns out, this is the ultimate summer recipe, as there is no actual heat involved. You never actually cook gazpacho, you simply chop, then puree the ingredients and chill them overnight.

I decided to try a recipe where you puree only half the ingredients and leave the other half chopped into little bite size pieces. It turned out wonderfully, the mix of textures was just right. I don't know that I would like a fully pureed gazpacho, as it needs the crunch of the diced vegetables to contrast with the thick broth.

I think the key is to pick ingredients with "bright" flavors. It's a great vegetarian recipe because it really wouldn't work with meat. It needs to be all vegetables, and fresh herbs - nothing from a bottle. I added tons of fresh basil and parsley, and it made all the difference in the world.

Nom nom nom.

Vegetables I used include: tomatoes (the real backbone of the soup), red and green bell pepper, cucumber, purple onion, celery, chives. The broth, aside from simply pureeing half the ingredients, calls for lots of tomato juice (about three cups), a quarter cup each of olive oil and red wine vinegar (this was essential: again, the vinegar really helps to brighten up the soup), and a healthy dash each of: Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, sugar, salt and pepper.

The soup was delicious. It's thoroughly refreshing. It's like eating a vegetable garden all at once. Definitely a recipe I'll be repeating these next couple years, and hanging onto for future use.

I'm hoping my next cold soup adventure will be borscht. I'll get back to you with any successes or failures.