Gazpacho

Summer reluctantly and briefly visited the UK this weekend, and so as a gesture of thanks to the mighty sun god Ra we held up this delicious offering – the first gazpacho of the cold soup season.

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: none (although you’ll need to allow a few hours for chilling)
Skill level: Easy
Serves: 2 main or 4 starter

Ingredients

• ripe tomatoes – 1 kg
• stale white bread – crust removed – 75g
• olive oil – 6 tbsp
• white wine vinegar – 5 tbsp
• garlic – 3 cloves
• chilled water – about 300 ml
• cumin – pinch
• finely chopped spring onion, green pepper and cucumber for the garnish
• croutons (optional)
• salt – 2 tsp

Soak the stale bread in water for 5-10 minutes and squeeze dry.
Place the tomatoes in boiling water for a few minutes until the skin starts to split. Skin, de-seed and roughly chop.

Put the tomatoes, bread, cumin, salt and garlic in a food processor and blitz until smooth.

With the machine still running, slowly add the oil and then the vinegar.

Switch off and add enough water for your preferred consistency.

Chill for at least 2 hours.

Ladle into bowls and add a spoonful of the garnish.

Verdict: There are few things in life better than gazpacho. Delicious beyond description.

Drink: A trio of cold lagers in a pair of local pubs.

Entertainment: ’24’, series one, 20:00 to 22:00. Everyone has been kidnapped (again). Dennis Hopper has a weird Bosnian/Welsh hybrid accent.