One of my favorite parts about summertime is the food. The juices from fresh fruits drizzling down my chin as my taste buds soak up the sweet nectars, veggies & meats & seafoods hot off the grill with beautiful char marks & nothing but a drizzle of olive oil & a sprinkle of sea salt, sweet & savory gourmet popsicles in flavors like Kiwi Banana Honey & Grapefruit Orange Blossom Margarita (King of Pops, hands down the best popsicle you will ever taste, is an Atlanta icon…have a browse and/or drool at their genius flavor pairings here).
But above all, one thing I always find myself craving on those days when you step outside and it’s so humid that your sunglasses fog up, is a cold home made soup. You can almost taste every fresh fruit & vegetable that goes into a home crafted chilled soup. It’s like taking all of the best, plumpest, proudest growings from the garden & inviting them to an exclusive summer party in the form of a bowl of soup. One of my favorites is the Spanish legend, Gazpacho. Slurping Gazpacho takes me back to last summer in the brutal dry heat of Madrid, Spain, sitting under a patio umbrella slowing eating a bowl & with every bite really appreciating all of the components that marry together to create the perfect bite (or slurp). So simple yet so refreshing. It’s never a bad idea to wash it down with a large glass of fruity Sangria, either. I recently made my own batch of my Spanish favorite, & it came pretty close to hitting the same spots on my tastebuds & in my heart as it did that summer in Madrid. I didn’t use a recipe…but I have included the links to an array of creative takes on a beautiful bowl of gazpacho. Enjoy!
With Shrimp Watermelon Peach Mexican Style Zucchini & Sweet Pepper Heirloom Tomato & Avocado Smoky Gazpacho with Chorizo Sweet Corn Basil
My gazpacho prep
Blending everything together
Add some sliced avocado, fresh cilantro, red onion, a few diced jalapenos & a drizzle of olive oil!
Final Product!
Madrid Style
UptownBoho 