LES resident and locavore chef Carlin Greenstein is contributing a weekly seasonal recipe based on fresh food you can find at local markets or in your CSA. This week, she shares her grandmother’s recipe for gazpacho made with fresh summer vegetables:
I owe my love of cooking to my gram, Midge. She was all about salads and chilled soups in the summertime and it’s always this time of year when I think of her fabulous gazpacho. She would buy all of her vegetables at her local farm and have a large bowl waiting for me when I arrived for a visit.  I made a batch this week with a mix of what arrived in my CSA along with a few items I picked up at the Greenmarket. There is nothing better on a hot summer night and the best part is that it stores beautifully for several days in the fridge.
Midge’s Gazpacho
Yield: 2 quarts
2 cups diced English cucumber
2 cups diced red, orange or yellow bell pepper
2 cups diced ripe tomato
1/2 cup diced red onion
2 cups tomato juice
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 dashes hot sauce (optional)
scallion, cut on a bias (to garnish)
Place all of the diced vegetables in a large bowl. Add the tomato juice, vinegar, oil, and hot sauce. Season with salt and pepper and toss.
Transfer half of the mixture to a food processor and pulse the machine on and off to coarsely puree the contents. Return the pureed mixture to the bowl and stir to combine.
Chill for 4 to 6 hours and season to taste. Garnish with scallions.
Carlin Greenstein has been creating healthy, seasonally inspired menus as a private chef for 14 years. After receiving her masters degree from New York University in Food Studies and Nutrition, Greenstein completed her certification in Holistic Health and Wellness. She runs a small business, “Chew on This,” promoting local and seasonal eating.
