Summer is right around the corner! Whether you grow your own, have a produce share, or visit a farmer’s market, it is time to lean into tomatoes, which are more local, plentiful, and far more flavorful in season.
While the jury is still out on whether tomatoes contain more nutrients when processed as opposed to eaten fresh, one thing is for sure: they are delicious and full of nutrients.
One great way to beat the summer heat is to make gazpacho, the chilled tomato soup of Spanish origin. There are many different interpretations of this classic dish, some of which are quite elaborate. Here’s a great basic recipe to start you out, adapted from the 1963 Better Homes & Gardens cookbook, Meals with a Foreign Flair:
Gazpacho (Serves 6)
1 c peeled, chopped medium tomato (immerse whole tomato in boiling water for ease in peeling)
1/2 c each minced green pepper, celery, cucumber
1/4 c finely diced onion
2 t chopped parsley
1 t chives, snipped
1 small minced garlic clove
2-3 T tarragon wine vinegar (available in stores, or just infuse a bottle of white wine vinegar with sprigs of fresh tarragon)
2 T olive oil
1 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
1/2 t Worcestershire sauce
2 c tomato juice
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate for at least four hours. A note on texture: that’s up to you! If you like it crunchy, dig right in. If you like it smooth, blend away.
To learn much, much more about tomatoes of all types, visit the World Tomato Society. Their site includes a database of over 6500(!) tomato varieties, as well as recipes. If you’d like to make your own tomato juice for the gazpacho, they even provide instructions for doing so.
Did you know? GW’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences sponsors a Culinary Medicine program, as a partner medical school of the American College of Culinary Medicine. Check out recipes from the program here.
