Gazpacho

I have always loved Gazpacho and there are tons of recipes out there for it, but this one is official. I got this recipe from my sister-in-law, Kaleena. Her family is from Spain and this is the recipe her Grandma makes. If you don't know what Gazpacho is, it's a cold soup that tastes similar to salsa. There aren't exact measurements, so you just have to do it to taste, but with the delicious ingredients in here it wouldn't matter what the ratio's were, it would still taste good.

2 Medium Tomatoes
1/4 Green Pepper
1/2 Cucumber, peeled and seeded
1 Clove Garlic
1 Serving of hard French Bread, soaked in water
2-3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2-3 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons Salt
Water to your thickness

Mix all ingredients in a blender and serve in a bowl or cup.

Broccoli Salad

This is great for summer too, because you can use up all your vegetables. You could throw extra vegetables in because it would taste great with any combination.

Tops off 4 bundles of Broccoli, cut to desired size
2 Carrots, Chopped
1 Bunch Green Onion
2 Cups Celery, Chopped
1 Cup Craisins
4 Tablespoons Bacon or Bacon Bits
1 Cup Honey Roasted Peanuts (optional)

1. Add all ingredients to a bowl, set aside.

Dressing:
3/4 Cup Mayonnaise
1/3 Cup Sugar
2 Tablespoons Vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Curry

2. Mix dressing to taste, pour over salad and mix.

Stuffed Tomatoes

I thought I'd post some of my favorite summertime recipes since we all have an abundance of produce right now. These are so easy to make, but they look really fancy. They'd be great to serve to guests.

5 Tomatoes
2 Jarred Pimientos, drained and chopped
1/4 Red Onion
1/2 Small Zucchini, diced into 1/4 in. squares
1 Jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1/2 Lemon
1/2 teaspoon Oregano
2 Tablespoons Fresh Cilantro or Flat-Leaf Parsley, chopped
2 Tablespoons Bread Crumbs
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

1. Cut the tops off 4 tomatoes and trim a thin slice off the bottoms so they will sit upright. Hollow out the tomatoes with a spoon and discard the insides. Sprinkle the tomatoes with salt and pepper.
2. Seed and chop the remaining tomato and place in bowl.
3. Add the next 7 ingredients to the bowl.
4. Sprinkle bread crumbs evenly over mixture.
5. Add olive oil and salt and pepper and toss mixture to combine.
6. Fill the empty tomatoes with stuffing and serve.