Tomato Gazpacho with Basil Oil

There is a funny, roundabout story to this recipe.  Jesse and I were looking online at the winery where some of our friends will be getting married this summer, and while playing around on their website, we came upon a recipe for Gazpacho.  Jesse's face lit up when he saw it, because apparently, gazpacho is on the Facebook list of 100 foods you have to try before you die.  He and some of his friends are competing with each other to see who can finish the list first, and he is bound and determined to win.  {We've experienced some interesting meals in the last year thanks to this list!}

This is our adaptation of Chalk Hill's recipe.  We paired it down to feed 4 instead of, you know, the whole classy restaurant.

This is a truly glorious recipe.  It's one of the healthiest things you can eat, because it's just fresh, raw vegetables pureed to their smoothest form.  We like it so much that we've made and served it twice this week--once to a couple with very limiting food allergies, and to another couple who follow the Paleo diet.

Gazpacho is the perfect thing for a hot summer day.  It's served cool, so it's light and refreshing.  I love it!

What you'll need:
♥ 8 tomatoes, washed and diced
♥ 1/2 a cucumber, peeled, seeded, and quartered
♥ 1/2 a green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
♥ 1/2 a red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
♥ 1/2 an onion, diced
♥ 4 cloves of garlic
♥ salt and pepper to taste
♥ Sherry vinegar
♥ 1/2 cup olive oil
♥ 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

Chop up the tomatoes, bell peppers, garlic, and onion, and toss them together in a large bowl.  Working in batches, puree the vegetables until you have a smooth puree.  Add salt, pepper, and sherry vinegar to taste.  Refrigerate overnight to allow the flavor to infuse.  This step is worth it!

About an hour before you will serve the gazpacho, take it out of the refrigerator.  Strain it and toss out any bits that collect in the sieve (or take the remnants, toss them with some jalapeno, and turn it into a salsa, like we did).

Stir in 1/4 cup of olive oil to give it a lovely, rich texture, and taste the soup again to see if you need to add more salt, pepper, or vinegar.

Make basil oil by blending the basil leaves with the rest of the olive oil, and drizzle it on the top of the soup just before serving.

Set this on the table with some buttered garlic bread and a grilled chicken salad, and you have yourself a lovely meal!