Nothing celebrates the end to a garden season as much as gazpacho! The blend of sun-ripened vegetables with additional seasonings is pure Nirvana.
The base for gazpacho is the tomato. Most recipes call for 3 to 4 cups of tomato juice and about 6 tomatoes, cored and chopped. Heirloom tomatoes provide a rich flavor to this chilled soup. Sometimes I used Brandywine and at other times I use San Marzano which is a paste tomato. Your recipe may ask for the tomatoes to be peeled. Skip this step if you want to include all the nutrients in the skin. The rest of the recipe usually includes onions, peppers (bell and hot) cucumbers, celery, garlic and a blend of flavorings such as vinegar, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce….. Garlic is another ingredient which can be a spectacular addition when chosen from the heirloom varieties. My preference for gazpacho and salsas is the Spanish Roja. It’s a hardneck which is as easy to grow as daffodils so give it a try.
A fun twist is to add a quarter cup of chopped aronia to the mixture. And if you juiced some of your aronia berries replace about one-fourth of the amount specified for tomato juice with the aronia juice. Chill to allow the flavors to blend. Great taste and soooooo good for you!!!