GAZPACHO ANDALUZ

There are as many variations of gazpacho, the classic cold soup of Spain, as there are bars and restaurants in Andalucia. More - because every home cook probably has one, too. The most common is this one, and it's pretty simple: a few summer vegetables, some good olive oil and vinegar, and a touch of seasoning. It's a salad put into a blender, then chilled to a refreshing iciness.

I use more tomatoes than some do, because I love them. I also pull back a bit from the lavish amounts of oil called for in traditional Spanish recipes. I like to put a carafe of good olive oil on the table and let everyone drizzle it on top of their soup, to their own taste.

As with all simple recipes, the quality of the ingredients makes or breaks the dish. If you swoon with delight at the redness and sweetness of your tomatoes as you cut and taste them, then you will do the same with the soup. If your tomatoes leave you indifferent - why bother?

3 lbs. vine ripe tomatoes
3 medium bell peppers, or long frying peppers
2 medium cucumbers
1 medium sized sweet onion
2 oz. French bread (about 4 slices, crusts removed)
2-3 tsps. chopped garlic
1/3 cup fruity olive oil, more to taste
5 Tbs. sherry vinegar, more to taste
2 tsps. salt, more to taste
a few grinds of black pepper
1 tsp. sugar, if needed
1 cup water

garnishes:
1 bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1 cup red and yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
additional olive oil

Chop the onion and taste it. If you have a sweet onion, such as a Vidalia or Maui, it will be fine. If it is too hot to eat raw without gasping for water, only use some of it.

Cut the bread into chunks and soak it in water until it is softened, then squeeze out the excess.

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl, then puree them in a blender, working in batches. The texture of the gazpacho can be varied, but I like to puree it until it is very smooth, then add the chopped vegetables used as garnish for a nice contrast.

When everything is blended, taste the soup and adjust the seasoning by adding salt, vinegar, and perhaps a pinch of sugar. Keep stirring, tasting, and adding a sprinkle of salt and a drop of vinegar until the flavors are full, piquant, but well-balanced.

Chill the soup thoroughly in the refrigerator, at least four hours. I like to finish by putting it in the freezer for an hour or so just before serving. You can also put an ice cube in each bowl, but this risks diluting the soup.

Serve in chilled bowls, and pass the various garnishes, as well as extra olive oil.

Serves 8 - 10.