Quick Tomato Peach Gazpacho

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Gazpacho

The end of August is not the easiest of times. The novelty of summer has worn off, lost its gloss and charm. Summer camps are over, the last suitcases from vacation are half unpacked and staring dolefully at you. The kids are climbing the walls with boredom. The weather is unrelenting, the temperature climbing into the triple digits and staying high into the night. It’s too hot to cook, too hot to go to the park, or play in the yard.

This summer has not been the easiest time for me. I am usually breezy, with a joke every minute. But I felt unable to cope. And yet I found myself in my OB’s office at 8:30 one morning, sobbing.

Post partum depression was not something I expected. I didn’t have it when Nuni was born, but here I was, with a baby who cried a lot, a husband who worked a lot, a mother out of the country, a nearly- five year old who does nothing I tell her to, and a bucketful of hormones making me -literally – crazy. I wanted to enjoy my baby’s babyhood, rather than resenting it, but I felt like I couldn’t.

It took a good friend to send me a note saying, “I think you might have PPD”, a husband who talked the doctor into seeing me tomorrow, instead of two weeks from now, and some medication, but the fog has started to lift.

The meds have helped, but some days are still a struggle. I have to remind myself, every day, to focus on the blessings. The grins and coos of my little boy When he sees my face, the conversations with my big girl, a husband who is an active parent rather than a bystander. When I focus on these, I can slowly find the joy that surrounds me.

August has its blessings, too. The sun may feel oppressive, but it brings us ruby tomatoes and juicy peaches. This gazpacho takes advantage of those, with the added bonus that it requires no cooking. I keep a jar in my refrigerator, and no lunch is more refreshing on a hot day. When I embrace the season, I can find the joys of late summer.

 

Tomato and Peach Gazpacho
 
Author:
 
Ingredients
  • 4 slices French bread
  • ½ cup cold water
  • ½ red bell pepper, seeded
  • 2 lbs cherry tomatoes
  • 2 ripe peaches
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • ⅓ cup olive oil
  • Green Tabasco (5 dashes or to taste)
  • Salt and pepper to your taste
  • Garnishes (optional): croutons, cilantro, diced cucumber
Instructions
  1. In the bowl of a food processor, soak the bread in the water until soft.
  2. Add the pepper, tomatoes, peaches, garlic and vinegar, and blend until smooth.
  3. With the motor running, add the olive oil in a thin stream.
  4. Taste for seasonings, add salt, pepper and Tabasco. Garnish as you wish.
Notes
This recipe is adapted from one given to me by Erez Mergi, chef at Angelica Restaurant in Jerusalem via his wife, artist Ruth Mergi

 

 

 

8 Comments

  1. Mary Flora August 21, 2012
  2. Jenny August 21, 2012
  3. merry jennifer August 21, 2012
  4. Susie August 24, 2012
    • Kate August 24, 2012
  5. Rocky Mountain Woman August 27, 2012
  6. Susie August 27, 2012
  7. Ruth September 10, 2012
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