GAZPACHO

I have been meaning to post this recipe for a long time now. I actually made it a few months ago for TGB's birthday dinner. Since I started making this at about midnight, I didn't take any pictures while I was cooking. My Tia and I were exhausted prepping everything and no one was in the mood to take pictures.

GAZPACHO

Ingredients

• 1 red onion, diced
• 5 lbs tomatoes, cored and diced
• 1 English cucumber (or 1 1/2 cucumbers) peeled and diced
• 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 5 teaspoons lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons minced flat-leaf parsley
• Fresh ground paper, to taste
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 2 cups cubed French bread
• 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and diced

Preparation

1. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup of the onion, 1 cup of the tomatoes, 3/4 cup of the cucumbers, 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, parsley and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
2. In a blender or food processor combine the remaining onion, 4 teaspoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon salt, garlic, and vinegar. Blend until the mixture is smooth.
3. Add the remaining tomatoes, cucumbers and red bell pepper and blend.
4. Add the french bread and puree. I like the gazpacho a little chunky.
5. Taste it and adjust the salt and pepper to taste.
6. Add the remaining olive oil and blend.
7. Transfer the soup to a soup bowl or container and cover with plastic wrap. Chill for at least an hour.
8. To serve, ladle the gazpacho into bowls and garnish with a heaping spoonful of the diced vegetables.