Gazpacho

    

     Sooo, I know it has been a super long time since I have posted anything. About two years I guess. Too much has happened for me to be able to recap all of it but lets just say through all the ups and downs God has been faithful and continues to bless us. I continue to find and make new recipes and thought I would finally bite the bullet and start blogging them again. As far as crochet. I do still enjoy it and it continues to be a stress reliever for me but now that we have moved from Alaska to Hawaii I do not do it as much as I used to. Not to mention my time is kind of filled with kid stuff like homeschooling, dance recitals, taekwondo being an army wife and more island type hobbies (more on that later.)  I still love up-cycling and repurposing old things and will post a few of the projects I have done. For now I will start out small and post a recipe. 
     I do not know when I was first introduced to Gazpacho. I know it was as a kid on one of our many travels and I loved it. From then on, whenever I saw it in a restaurant, I ordered it. Not too long ago I was looking at soup recipes, just wanting a light meal, but again being in Hawaii did not want something hot. I thought of Gazpacho since it is a cold soup and went through several recipes, finally decided on this one and I love it. Not only that my oldest loves it too and asks for it about weekly. I do not make it weekly but he does ask for it.   I agree with this author that gazpacho is supposed to be a little thicker, not soupy and does not need added tomato juice. Refrain from grabbing the tomato juice!  http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2012/07/18/how_to_make_authentic_gazpacho_first_accept_that_it_s_not_a_tomato_smoothie_.html

Yield: 4 servings
Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients

2 pounds tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, roughly chopped
½ medium cucumber, peeled and roughly chopped (I do not peel it)
½ red onion, roughly chopped
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
⅓ cup almonds (or almond flour)
One ½-inch slice white bread, torn into 1-inch pieces (gluten free if you need to)
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 medium fresh jalapeño, seeded and roughly chopped (I love this but leave it out if my son is going to be eating it)
2 garlic cloves
Salt and black pepper
1 avocado, thinly sliced (optional)

Directions

1. Put the tomatoes, bell pepper, cucumber, onion, olive oil, almonds, bread, vinegar, jalapeño, and garlic in a blender; season with salt and pepper. Process until smooth, adding up to ½ cup water if necessary. (Work in batches if not all the ingredients fit in your blender at once.)

2. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Refrigerate for up to a few hours before serving or serve immediately, garnished with the avocado if desired.