Grosspacho

Summer is winding down and I'm already missing the fresh fruits and vegetables that have been so readily available all season. Spike and I took a walkabout to Haymarket last weekend and picked up lots of good stuff: lettuce, tomatoes, basil, cilantro, zucchini, cucumbers, limes, avocado, plums, cherries, onions, and more tomatoes. I was planning on making gazpacho... finally! But on the way home we passed by Bella Vita cafe on Charles St., the home of the best gazpacho on earth. Of course I insisted we stop in for a bowl of the divine concoction and it was just as great as I remember. I wish it hadn't spoiled me so.

I had some visitors during the week and the weather took a shocking turn during their visit. Instead of the warm sun, blue sky, 80 degree temperatures of August, we were subjected to cold wind, misting rain, 60 degree temperatures usually found in March! Gazpacho was the furthest thing from my mind. I felt more like diving into a nice bowl of chowder, and we did just that while visiting the North Shore.

The weather finally rebounded though and those fresh veggies were calling out to me from the fridge. Well, I feel like I murdered those poor things when I put them into a gazpacho that was pretty gross. I followed a recipe I'd gotten out of Food Network Magazine and I should have known it wouldn't be quite what I was expecting when it called for bread soaked in water and ice cubes. It wasn't truly awful... but still wasn't quite what I was craving. Now I can't get the icky taste out of my mouth. Maybe I'll just have to rely on the Bella Vita cafe for my gazpacho fix. Or perhaps I can coerce their recipe out of them next time I go...... hopefully it will be soon.