Gazpacho

It's hot in Madrid these days (100F or so) and I wanted something simple, fast, and refreshing. In the fridge was some tomatoes I wasn't consuming fast enough (being not much of a salad person) so I decided to make a simple simple gazpacho (basically, messed up tomato juice).

Gazpacho

Makes: 2 glasses

Ingredients:

• 5 tomatoes (medium)
• 3 T olive oil (the good stuff)
• 1 clove garlic (smashed, minced, whatever)
  
• 1/2 t salt

Procedure:

1. Remove the tomato stem end (the hard unflavorful bit)
   
2. Quarter the tomatoes and toss them in the blender (I use something called a Thermomix)
3. Blend well (and more than well) (for a full 2 minutes) You now have tomato juice
   
4. Add oil (traditional recipes would use twice as much; we'll call this one gazpacho-lite)
5. Add salt (it balances the acidity of the tomato)
   
6. Add garlic (it make the tomato taste seem sweeter)
   
7. Blend a long time (another 3 minutes) You now have Gazpacho
   
• Check the salt. You might want more
  
8. If you have a Thermomix set it for 70 degrees C (to cook the juices a little)
• If you're drinking it right away skip this heating step
9. Chill for a couple of hours
   

Done

Notes:

1. Check the salt
   
2. A Thermomix is a blender with a built in heater to allow you to cook things in it
   
3. Gazpacho is best enjoyed cold
4. The oil is to give the tomato (juice) something to emulsify with; so the gazpacho should not separate.
   
5. Many recipes have a lot more ingredients; such as green peppers and/or celery, wine vinegar (yes! excellent!), cucumber (blah¡). This one doesn't.
   
6. Can be diluted with a little water if it thickens up too much when chilled.

Oh look! I have a picture in this one. It's from the PDA-camera. I still need practice. I think 1) more light (to get a better shutter speed) and 2) not so close (it doesn't have a macro setting).