Here is a gazpacho recipe Bill and I came up with a couple of years ago. We hope you like it as much as we do:
12 fresh tomatoes
1 large Spanish onion
2 medium cucumbers, peeled
1 green pepper
1 T canola oil
1 T olive oil
4 T red wine vinegar
3 T balsamic vinegar
3 c V-8 juice
1 loose handful fresh parsley
1/2 oz. fresh basil
1/2 t black pepper
1/2 t Worcestershire sauce
Core the tomatoes. Puree 10 tomatoes in blender and pour liquid into large bowl. Seed remaining tomatoes and the green pepper. Chop tomatoes, green pepper, onion, and cucumbers and add to bowl. Add oil and vinegar. Pour 1 cup V-8 into blender. Remove large stems from herbs and add herbs to blender. Chop (med speed). Pour into bowl and add remaining V-8. Add pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Chill before serving. Serve with dollop of sour cream, celery stalk, cucumber spear or slices, or avocado slices. Makes 10 - 12 cups. Enjoy!
Here's another way to use all those delicious garden tomatoes:
Slice several tomatoes and place on large plate or in shallow bowl. Sprinkle lightly with freshly ground black pepper and a TINY pinch of salt (we're low-sodium folks). Add chopped fresh basil. Drizzle with equal quantities of olive oil, red wine vinegar, and balsamic vinegar. Toss gently and marinate at room temperature for an hour or two.
The last couple of summers, we grew Early Girl tomatoes with great results. Next year we plan to try some heirloom tomatoes. For those who are unfamiliar (as I was until recently), heirlooms are, as the name implies, "old" varieties that were grown before the modern hybrids were developed. Seeds have literally been passed down through the generations. Heirloom varieties are apparently less hardy than hybrids but more tasty and definitely more interesting to look at. Imagine a tomato named Green Zebra, Sun Gold, or Tigerella! We can't wait to try them next year.
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