Gazpacho is usually a tomato-based raw vegetable soup served cold. There may be as many variations of this recipe as there are bass in Lake Fork. I’ve even had a melon gazpacho – not my favorite – but it wasn’t bad. My version uses fresh vegetables and it allowed me to process the 6 pounds of tomatoes I picked last week. I made enough for three meals and shared with friends. So, the following recipe is a fourth of what I made and may be better for serving a family of 4.               

Put a pot of water on the stove to boil while you wash about 1-1/2 lbs. of tomatoes. While you are washing, clean a red pepper, a cucumber and a jalapeño too. Back to the tomatoes, cut an X on the bottoms and place in the boiling water for about 30 seconds. Then using tongs or slotted spoon, remove and let cool. You may need to process in a couple of batches, so make sure the water comes to a boil again between the batches.

When the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, peel off the skins and core them. I cut the tomatoes in half along the equator and squeeze them over a bowl to get out most of the seeds. That seeds them well enough for me, but maybe not for someone with diverticulitis. During this process, make sure you are saving the tomato juice since you are going to need about a cup.                         

Chop the tomatoes, seeded red pepper, peeled and seeded cucumber and 1 red onion into 1/4-inch cubes and place into a large bowl. Hopefully you have about a cup of strained tomato juice left from peeling and seeding the tomatoes. If not, add store-bought tomato or vegetable juice to the fresh juice, making a cup, and add to the bowl. Then mince a seeded jalapeño and garlic clove, adding them to the bowl. 

Pour in 1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, the juice from 1 lime, a splash of balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Season with a little cumin, freshly ground black pepper and kosher salt. Stir everything together and taste. I usually end up adding more balsamic vinegar and salt. If you like it hot, consider adding Louisiana Hot Sauce or Tabasco.

Scoop at least half the mixture into a food processor and purée. Add back to the bowl, cover and refrigerate for a few hours or as long as overnight. When ready to serve, chop up fresh basil and sprinkle over the top of each bowl.

I made zucchini chips to go along with the gazpacho. Slice a few zucchini about 1⁄4-inch thick. Toss the chips in flour. Whisk two eggs and about 1⁄4 cup milk together. Toss the flour-dredged chips in the egg mixture until all are coated. 

Then toss this in seasoned bread crumbs. Be sure to sample the bread crumbs first and add seasonings until you are happy with the taste. Store-bought bread crumbs may not have the seasonings you like and may not have enough salt. I really like plain Panko bread crumbs with my own seasonings. Lay the coated chips in a single layer on a lightly greased pan. Bake in a 450-degree oven for 25-30 minutes.

Baked chips and cold vegetable soup are a treat on a hot summer evening.