Chilled Gazpacho Soup

This was a bit different than other Gazpacho I have had in the past. It was more of a soup, as the recipe title suggests, & seemed to be a bit more savory. But of course, it would not truly be Gazpacho if it did not feature the flavors of the tomatoes & cucumbers at their freshest & purest.

My summers no longer feel complete without at least one batch of Gazpacho, since the first summer I tried it. And, this recipe from Simply in Season was quite possibly my favorite version yet. Of course it helped that the ingredients were fresh from the market.

Simply combine: four cups chopped tomatoes, two cups broth, one cup diced cucumber, one cup diced green pepper, one cup diced bok choy (or celery), one half cup diced red onion, one tablespoon lemon juice, two tablespoons sugar (optionally), salt, several dashes Worcestershire, chopped chives (or green onion), & six ice cubes.

Allow to stand for thirty minutes.

Favorite Song for today (led to in a more or less direct way by my favorite radio station):

The Wind Whistles- Good Friends

Okra Curry

Oh dear! I have been bustling & hustling to work out my anxieties. & I completely forgot how cooking a Simply in Season meal, listening to some music, and even sharing them here is some of the best anxiety-relief of all.

I have to say... I have always enjoyed okra, but I have also always had trouble cooking it. But when I found a big bag of it for a few dollars at the Farmer's Market, I was bound & determined to figure out a thing or two.

All I really did in the end was to follow the recipe, and the okra turned out great. Not mushy, but soft-crisp. Only the largest pod of all was a bit fibrous. & the sticky little seeds were like a more flavorful couscous.

I cooked the wild rice in broth & it was an excellent complement to the okra.

1. Saute one half cup of onion in two tbsp of olive oil until golden brown.

2. Add one garlic clove (minced), ground ginger, turmeric, & chili powder. Saute for a few minutes.

3. Add one pound of okra (cleaned and trimmed) & salt. Cook a few minutes.

4. Add one cup slice tomatoes & fry for a few minutes until liquids evaporate. (This took a bit longer than a few minutes for me.)

Favorite Song for today (led to in a more or less direct way by my favorite radio station):

Laura J. Martin- Fire Horse