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

Red Wine Cucumber Salad

Last night, with our Bison steaks, I threw together a cucumber salad.

I am rather picky about cucumbers, & rather turn my nose up at most of what the grocery stores have to offer in this area. I especially cannot abide by all that wax, rendering the lovely peels inedible. So I fervently hope that our little cucumber plant, full of tiny cucumbers & flowers currently, produces abundantly in the end. In the meanwhile we will rejoice in the box of small & crisp cucumbers we happened upon in last weekend's Farmer's Market.

For this salad I combined: One large thinly sliced green onion, two small diced tomatoes, three small thinly sliced cucumbers, two minced cloves of garlic, 1/4 cup of red wine, & 4 tsp olive oil.

(All but the final two it was our good fortune to find at the Farmer's Market downtown.)

I allowed the salad to marinate for a little over an hour. It was quite remarkable with a bit of salt & pepper.

Also, if you get the chance & happen to be omnivorous as I am, do try Bison steaks some time. Less fatty & more tender than the beef counterparts.

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

Pearl and the Beard- Sweetness

Greek Tomato Salad

Refreshing cool salad. As a bonus we trimmed our basil plant which is now over a foot tall to use some fresh basil for this recipe. Nothing better than fresh basil.

Combine in a dish: 8 medium tomatoes (peeled & sliced), one medium thinly sliced onion, & one chopped cucumber.

Mix & pour over the vegetables: 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil, one tbsp olive oil, one tbsp balsamic vinegar, & one clove chopped garlic.

Toss lightly. Salt & pepper to taste. Garnish with one half cup of crumbled feta cheese & Kalamata olives.

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

The Phoenix Foundation- Buffalo

Cucumber Salad

These were quite good. What it tasted like to us, to be honest, was sweet pickles with an onion-celery kick.

Remember to allow at least a few hours for prep time.

Thinly slice one half cup of onion & 3 cups of cucumber. Sprinkle with one tsp salt. Let sit for one hour.

Bring to a boil 1/3 cup sugar, 1/4 cup vinegar, & 1/2 tsp celery seed. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour over the cucumber-onion. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or over night. Keeps several days.

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

Dolorean- The Unfazed