Seasonal Recipe: Grilled Summer Vegetable Gazpacho

Photo by Allison Jones

Ingredients

2 each Zucchini (Sliced in ¼ inch Circles)

2 Each Yellow Squash (Sliced in ¼ inch Circles)

3 Red Bell Peppers (Roasted)

1 Red Onion (Sliced in ¼ inch Circles)

3 Red Heirloom Tomatoes

1 English Cucumber

1 Bunch Cilantro

2 oz. tomato sauce

3 oz. Champagne Vinegar

1 Lemon (Zested, and segmented)

4 oz. Lemon Olive Oil

2 oz. Honey

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

1. Roast the bell pepper over an open flame until the outside is completely black.  Then place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  The residual heat from the pepper and trapping that heat from the plastic will finish roasting the pepper.  Once the peppers are soft use a paper towel and gently wipe away the charred skin.  Do not rinse because the flavor will be lost.  Remove the seeds and cut into smaller pieces.  (The size does not matter because it will be blended.)
2. Grill the Zucchini, Yellow Squash, and Red Onions on the grill.  Brush oil over the vegetables and season them liberally with salt and pepper.  You just want to grill them enough to get beautiful grill marks.  Once they are grilled chill the vegetables.
3. Next peel the cucumber and slice into ¼ inch rounds (do not remove the seeds) and add the Roasted Bell Peppers.
4. Dice the Heirloom Tomatoes and mix with the Cucumbers/Pepper Mix.
5. Roughly chop the cilantro.  A few stems are ok so no need to take the time to pick the leaves, and add.
6. Next, roughly chop your now cooled grilled vegetables and add to the mix of veggies.
7. Zest the lemon and remove the white pith.  Now with a paring knife remove each segment of the lemon then squeeze the remainder into the vegetable mix.  Add both the segments and the zest to the vegetable mix.
8. Season with salt until the mixture has a “sandy” feel to it.  (The salt with extract the moisture in the cucumbers and in the remaining vegetables.
9. Leave this out at room temperature for 6 to 8 hours or refrigerate for 24 hours.
10. Next there should be retaining liquid in your container.  Place vegetables and some of that liquid in a high speed blender and blend.
11. While it’s blending open the top and begin to drizzle in the Lemon Olive Oil and honey until a smooth consistency is reached (5 to 10 minutes).  You can adjust the consistency with the vinegar.  (The vinegar and honey counteracts the salt content).
12. Once smooth you can serve, or strain through a fine mess strainer.  This will provide a lighter consistency on those hot summer days.
13. If you strain and it’s too thin add the remaining pulp back in and whisk together to achieve desired consistency.