Gazpacho

If you don't make this already, you should. Especially you Perth people. Especially this week. Nuff said.
It's refreshing like crazy. And probably good for us too. I love that scene in Women on the Verge of a Mental Breakdown where she makes gazpacho. This one will be just as good even if lacking the magic ingredient. Sadly it won't be served by a dorky Antonio Banderas though.

900g overripe tomatoes (blanched and peeled is best if you have time)
1 T tomato sauce / paste
1 T olive oil
1 small garlic clove, peeled
1 T sugar/agave syrup (really? taste and decide)
150ml vegetable stock
bunch of fresh basil
2 T redwine vinegar
salt and freshly ground white pepper


Set aside a few basil leaves to decorate then put all the ingredients in a blender and whizz. Strain mixture through a sieve into a bowl, pushing hard to extract all the juice. (The remaining pulp can be used in another recipe, like the gazpacho paella thing). Or you can just put all the veg ingredients through a juicer and then mix in the extra liquid ingredients. I did this today but just juiced half a celery in place of vegetable stock. Adjust the seasoning then chill until ready to serve. If it's as hot as it is in Perth at the moment, you might like to think about chucking some icecubes in the glass / bowl you serve it in.

NB - why not just keep all the pulp in? Well you can, sure, but the clean texture helps it feel extra refreshing, I think. Also, no pulp means no bits of basil on your teeth which is good if you're having this at work!