News Taffy

It’s hot! Really, really hot, so of course no one wants to heat up the kitchen to make a meal. Please don’t be tempted to eat fast food or nuke some processed frozen food. Instead, think outside the oven and make something cool. Just like a hot soup or drink can raise your body temperature and warm you up, a cold drink or soup helps chill you down. A cold soup can be chock full of vitamins, fiber and antioxidants making you feel virtuous as well as pleasing your taste buds.

While on vacation in Florida this summer, I spied watermelon gazpacho on the menu of a health food airstream trailer I like to frequent. I like spicy gazpacho filled with tomato-y goodness, cucumbers, celery and green onion. I wish I could say my family liked it as well but they eat it grudgingly. So I bought some of the watermelon version and was instantly a fan of it’s chilly, sweet tart taste. Barry liked it but the kids were less enthusiastic. That didn’t stop me from finding a recipe online and trying it at home. I don’t like the recipe I found as well as the Florida gazpacho but it is a place to start. I think it needs more red wine vinegar and definitely some tomato. A good watermelon is key and mine was a little mushy and not as sweet as I’d like.

Anyway, google watermelon gazpacho and pick a recipe or start with this one. It would be a refreshing side dish for that 4th of July party you’re planning and could be made the night before so it’s good and cold when you serve it. Speaking of the 4th, I plan to have a small party and serve hot dogs with a variety of toppings, chips with a simple vegetable based dip of some sort and no, your eyes don’t deceive you, milkshakes. I plan to make a vanilla milkshake base and have several different fruit add-ins like strawberries, blueberries, peaches or pineapple. What could be better?

Watermelon Gazpacho

INGREDIENTS:
*8 cups finely diced seedless watermelon
*1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely diced
*1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
*2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
*3 Tbsp. fresh, chopped parsley or cilantro
*3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
*1/4 cup finely chopped green onion
*2 Tbsp. olive oil
*3/4 tsp. salt

DIRECTIONS: Mix all ingredients gently and let chill several hours, stirring occasionally. Serve in a pretty cup or dessert dish.

Next time, I plan to use mint instead of basil, shallots instead of green onion, a bit of lime juice and tomatoes. I think I missed the tomatoes that were in the Florida version. I’ve also seen several recipes calling for jalapeño or Serrano peppers. You could try this if you want a bit of a kick. Unless you are making this for a crowd and it is eaten all up, the leftovers are good the next day, another plus!

Until next week,
Lisa