Summer Peach & Tomato Gazpacho
Elizabeth here today, with a new edition of One Last Bite recipe to satisfy your sweet tooth. I love fall, but I can’t help clinging to the last dregs of summer. I buy as many tomatoes and peaches and berries as we can possibly eat, because soon enough they’ll be replaced by squash and apples and pumpkins. I desperately tend to my herb garden and even drag the pots inside at night to keep them going as long as I can. I’m not quite ready to wear tights—and you can forget about sweaters.
So this month, I present to you a sweet treat with no sugar, no flour, and no baking pans. And no, you don’t even need to turn on that oven that has been gathering dust over the last few, very hot months. I give you my favorite warm-weather recipe: a gazpacho that is bursting with summer flavor. It replaces the traditional cucumber and garlic with juicy peaches and shallot. Add a handful of strawberries and some slices of creamy avocado, and it’s almost like eating dessert for dinner.
I hope you enjoy this one last bite of summer.
Peach and Tomato Gazpacho
Yield: 4 first course servings or 2 main course servings.
1 1/2 pounds tomatoes (4 cups)
1 pound fresh peaches, pitted and chopped (2 cups)
2 tablespoons chopped shallot
1 tablespoon chopped jalapeño, seed removed
A large handful of strawberries, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 avocado, sliced or chopped
Pureé two-thirds of the tomatoes, half of the peaches, and half of the strawberries with shallot, jalapeño, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 2 teaspoons basil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a blender until very smooth, about 1 minute. Force the mixture through a medium-mesh sieve into a large bowl and discard the solids. If the gazpacho is too thick for your taste, add water 1/4 cup at a time until it has reached the desired consistency. Let chill in the refrigerator.**
Make tomato peach salsa: Toss together remaining chopped tomatoes, strawberries, and peaches with remaining tablespoon oil, remaining 1/2 tablespoon vinegar, remaining teaspoon chopped basil, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a bowl.
Serve soup in bowls or tumblers and top with the tomato peach salsa and avocado.
**If time is of the essence, add a 1/4 cup of ice to the blender to chill the ingredients as they puree. Serve immediately.