Thrill of the Chill – Part 1

by Linda Tom

“Is it my imagination or has summer arrived early in Singapore?” I was thinking this a few days back while planning a casual lunch menu for my girlfriends. The intense afternoon heat was making me irritable and while I was excited about the prospect of having my buddies over – the last thing I wanted for myself was to be cooking in an even hotter kitchen. 
    
Luckily, my husband Dom came to the rescue by suggesting gazpacho as a starter. If there was ever a soup invented for summer, this cold Spanish classic was it. Images of succulent tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers and shavings of lemony zest flashed before my eyes and – surprisingly – I started to feel a tad cooler. Better still, with gazpacho, there’s no cooking required. Just give the raw ingredients a quick whirl in a blender, adjust seasonings to taste and you’re done.
    
The next course was easy, picking up on the warm orangey hues in the gazpacho, I envisioned a platter of roasted butternut squash on a bed of italian farro – alongside this would be tall pitchers of iced mint tea (recipes to come in a later post). 
    
And for those inclined towards having alcohol with their meal, some chefs have been known to add a touch of vodka to their gazpacho so that it becomes, in essence, a Spanish Bloody Mary. Now that’s one way to keep your mind off the heat …Olé!

Gazpacho

1/2 cup white wine vinegar

1/2  cup virgin olive oil

3 large ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped

3/4 cup canned tomato juice

1 red bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped 

1 onion, coarsely chopped

1 large cucumber, coarsely chopped

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Lemon zest and minced spring onion for garnish

1. In a medium bowl, combine the vinegar, olive oil and canned tomato juice

2. In a blender or food processor, purée the vegetables, gradually adding the tomato juice mixture. Keep the texture of the purée rough, as you want to retain some crunch. 

3. Add the cayenne, salt and pepper. Cover and chill for 4 hours minimum (over night is best). Ladle into chilled soup bowls. Garnish with lemon zest and spring onion.

Serves 4 – 6 persons