By Deborah Goldstein

I know it’s hot outside. But I refuse to let the heat and uncomfortable mugginess prevent me from enjoying fine homemade cuisine. In the summer, this might sound complicated. Of course if you have a backyard grill like I do, you can utilize it to prevent your oven from heating up your living space further. But steaks, chops and burgers aren’t always appetizing when the weather is so unforgiving. My answer to this quandary is something that’s refreshing as well as compelling to eat, and uses no heat to prepare. In fact, it’s served cold! No, it’s not ice cream (but I wouldn’t count that out for dessert). My friends, August is the time to embrace the mighty and fanciful cold soup we call gazpacho!

Classic gazpacho is appropriate for lunch or dinner, and will tantalize your palate without weighing you down (that’s what the humidity is for). It’s cold, texturally substantial, spicy (or not), tweakable, and works brilliantly with certain wines. I recently served a special version of gazpacho to my guests at an exclusive DRIVEN wine-pairing dinner event, and it was the most requested recipe from the evening. See the recipe below, and feel free to adjust it to your taste, while considering the garnish approach that follows. And don’t forget: a nice crusty peasant bread for dunking adds dimension to the meal. Cheers!

Summer Gazpacho  Print This Post
(serves 6)

2 ½ lbs plum tomatoes, rough chop
½ green pepper chopped
2 jalapeños, chopped
1 cucumber, thinly sliced (seeded and peeled)
6 oz low sodium V-8 juice
2 cups parsley, chopped
2 ½ T tomato vinegar (or sherry vinegar)
1/3 cup Amontillado sherry
½ cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic

Working in batches, simply puree all ingredients. Adjust for salt and pepper. Chill overnight so the flavors marry. Serve straight from the fridge in cold bowls.

For Garnish:

3 eggs, hard-boiled, white and yolk separated and chopped
1 cup chopped cucumber
½ cup chopped green bell pepper
Fresh Chives
A drizzle of EVO

Pair your gazpacho with a feisty and equally refreshing New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Or, consider swapping out the green bell pepper for a red, yellow or orange one, a

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Deborah Goldstein is a successful restauranteur and founder of the Driven Women, a community composed to serve NYC professionals sharing the common goal of career advancement, while integrating family life and personal development.