Hello, amigos!
We are in the dog days of summer here, though I know much of the country is getting hit hard with storms. One of my favorite things to make at this point in the year is gazpacho. It requires little prep, no heat, and is a refreshing, healthy treat to serve alongside a protein. I made this one purely with farmer’s market finds. The inclusion of sweet melon with unusual hints of vanilla, cardamom and smoked paprika and chile powder makes for a delightful twist on what can sometimes be a boring bowl of glorified, pureed salsa. This gazpacho feels like a tasty, cleansing hug to the body.
Enjoy, dear ones.
Amanda
Melon Gazpacho
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Author: gouramanda
Makes: 6
Ingredients
- 1 lb ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
- ½ ripe melon (such as cantaloupe, galia, Santa Claus melon, even watermelon), scooped out
- 1 seedless cucumber, roughly chopped
- 1 shallot, roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 red peppers (Anaheim for medium spicy, bell pepper for mild), roughly chopped
- small handful basil, put more for garnish
- ¼ cup good extra virgin olive oil
- squeeze of half a lemon
- generous 1 teaspoon sea salt (more to taste if needed)
- ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Pasilla Chile Magic or smoked chile powder
- ½ teaspoon sweet smoked paprika (pimentón)
- ½ vanilla bean, scraped out
- 3-4 cardamom pods (only the little inside seeds) or ⅛ teaspoon ground
- drizzle of good balsamic vinegar or balsamic vinegar glaze
- zucchini flowers, optional garnish
Method
- Prep all ingredients with rough chopping. Pulse together in a blender (minus balsamic vinegar, zucchini flowers and some basil) until somewhat smooth. Season to taste. Refrigerate for at least an hour and serve with a drizzle of balsamic, zucchini flowers (I like to tear them and lightly fry them in oil), and basil.