How does one have a garden without tomatoes? Tomatoes are a staple in every garden's summer bounty, right?
Well, not ours.
I may be queen in my kitchen, but the garden is one area that is outside my domain. It's not that I have a "black thumb." Or that I don't enjoy gardening. It's just that my husband has taken complete ownership of it. The garden is his realm. And it happens to be one of his favorite hobbies.
Well, not ours.
I may be queen in my kitchen, but the garden is one area that is outside my domain. It's not that I have a "black thumb." Or that I don't enjoy gardening. It's just that my husband has taken complete ownership of it. The garden is his realm. And it happens to be one of his favorite hobbies.
My husband appreciates any show of interest and enthusiasm in his garden, but he is never in need of my gardening help. I'm completely okay with this. I know his plants and fruit trees are his "babies"; the garden, his "project". The truth is, gardening chores were my least favorite growing up. I disliked weeding with a passion. But when my mom needed help in her garden, it was her oldest daughter she would call on to set an example for the younger ones. And off to weeding I would go with my sisters trailing behind me.
Gardening chores aside, my favorite memories of my mom's garden were the large, juicy tomatoes she would bring in for me and my sisters to eat over lunch. With a little bit of pepper and a dash of salt, they were the favorite veggies of choice to sink our teeth in.
Unfortunately, my husband did not have a similar experience. He despised tomatoes as a child, and he despises them now. So the tomato plant is one vegetable from seed he is never eager to grow. He refuses to eat a raw tomato. Nor does he like to find chunks of stewed or diced tomatoes buried in his plate at mealtime.
Needless to say, I went out on a limb making him this Spanish-style tomato soup one night this week. I decided to go heavy on the rest of the veggies, added a substantial amount of cilantro, piled in a good dose of herbs and spice, and... took my chances.
The tomatoes didn't come from our garden. Of course not. I had to pick mine up at our local market. But it turned out my husband was pretty impressed with this soup. And I was pleased knowing that he was getting all the benefits of those ripe, summer tomatoes that he had completely missed out on all these years.
Enjoy!
Gardening chores aside, my favorite memories of my mom's garden were the large, juicy tomatoes she would bring in for me and my sisters to eat over lunch. With a little bit of pepper and a dash of salt, they were the favorite veggies of choice to sink our teeth in.
Unfortunately, my husband did not have a similar experience. He despised tomatoes as a child, and he despises them now. So the tomato plant is one vegetable from seed he is never eager to grow. He refuses to eat a raw tomato. Nor does he like to find chunks of stewed or diced tomatoes buried in his plate at mealtime.
Needless to say, I went out on a limb making him this Spanish-style tomato soup one night this week. I decided to go heavy on the rest of the veggies, added a substantial amount of cilantro, piled in a good dose of herbs and spice, and... took my chances.
The tomatoes didn't come from our garden. Of course not. I had to pick mine up at our local market. But it turned out my husband was pretty impressed with this soup. And I was pleased knowing that he was getting all the benefits of those ripe, summer tomatoes that he had completely missed out on all these years.
Enjoy!
Garden-Fresh Spicy Herb Gazpacho
Ingredients
- 4 large juicy tomatoes
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 red bell pepper
- 2 celery stalks
- 1 cucumber, peeled
- 1 red onion
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
- 3 T. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 T. balsamic vinegar
- 1 T. freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- 1 1/2 t. each of dried alfalfa, holy basil, dandelion, and nettle (or any combination you prefer)
- 1 t. paprika
- 1/4 t. cayenne pepper
- 1 t. sea salt
- 1/2 t. freshly-ground black pepper
Instructions
1. Bring a pot of water to a boil on the stove, add tomatoes for 10 seconds, and then drain.2. Once tomatoes are cool enough to handle, peel off the skins and chop.3. Chop the remaining vegetables, along with the garlic and cilantro.4. Put everything into a food processor, add the remaining ingredients, and process until smooth.5. Store in the fridge until chilled. Enjoy!
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 2 quarts 
This post has been shared at: Works For Me Wednesday, Allergy Free Wednesday, Welcome Home Wednesday, Party Wave Wednesday, Whole Foods Wednesday, Wildcrafting Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday.
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