Gazpacho

Gazpacho is flexible. So too this gazpacho recipe - feel free to play around with the quantities. I have taken the idea of using celery salt from Laura Wright's The First Mess Cookbook and I think it really makes the soup, but the recipe is an amalgam of her recipe and the French Laundry's Gazpacho recipe from The New York Times Country Weekend Cookbook (a version of which I posted on this blog back in 2011). I like gazpacho chunky these days, but you could puree it in a blender (and even strain it) if you like your gazpacho smoother. Do this after letting the ingredients sit together for a while. And you could also put in a little vodka - and think of it as a healthy Bloody Mary.

Gazpacho

4-6 large tomatoes, peeled and diced
1 medium sized red onion, diced
1/2 large red bell pepper, diced
1/2 large English cucumber, diced
2 cloves garlic, grated
2 tbsps tomato paste
1 1/2 tsps celery salt
1/4 - 1/2 tsp cayenne
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 c olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a nonreactive bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least an hour. Serve cold. Will keep several days.