After I gave birth to our son, my mother-in-law stayed with us for the first week to help with the baby and the household. I had a huge appetite then and could have eaten anything, but she treated me like a queen.
She is an excellent cook and prepared wonderful meals not only during that first week, but for a long time afterward. Everything she made, she doubled and filled our freezer, which was a tremendous help. With a newborn and sleepless nights, not worrying about meals was a real gift. Thank you, Mom—I’ll always remember that.
One of her specialties was a chilled gazpacho. I can’t put into words how much I love it: fresh tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers—so light and refreshing on a hot summer day.
Last summer I didn’t eat as much as I would have liked because I was breastfeeding and had heard tomatoes might be a problem. I was cautious and ate only a little. My son didn’t react, but I didn’t want to push my luck.
That gazpacho stayed on my mind all year. Recently my mother-in-law visited again and asked how she could help. My only request was, “Please make us gazpacho, Mom!” She was delighted.
I did the shopping for the weekend and gathered the ingredients. I left the kitchen to her so she could work her magic; I only took the photos and can take no credit for the recipe—this dish is entirely hers. In return I made her grilled salmon with a simple homemade teriyaki sauce.
It was delicious. This time I ate as much as I wanted, and my little boy tried it too—he loved it. It’s amazing how much changes in a year.
Here he is in the first week of his life, when Mom was visiting. Regina took this photo when he was six days old.
And here he is a year later, a big boy who can now eat gazpacho.
My mother-in-law is a foodie and runs a small catering business on the side. If you live on the Connecticut shoreline and need caterer recommendations, consider her—her food is elegant and outstanding. She is known locally as Nancy’s Table.
Adapted from Ina Garten.
Refreshing Summer Gazpacho
Print
Pin
Rate
Ingredients
- 1 English , seedless cucumber
- 2 red or green bell peppers
- 4 medium tomatoes
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 medium red onion
- 3 cups of V8 vegetable juice
- 1/4 cup of white or red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Italian parsley or basil for garnish
Instructions
-
Cube the cucumber, peppers, onion and tomatoes and place them separately into a food processor.
-
Pulse a few times until the vegetables are coarsely chopped.
-
Combine all the chopped vegetables in a large bowl.
-
Add the garlic, vegetable juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.
-
Mix well and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to meld the flavors.
-
Garnish with parsley or basil before serving.
If you enjoy this fresh recipe, you might also like quinoa pasta with a no-cook tomato sauce.
