Preparing Vegetables for Soup and Gazpacho

• tomatoes
• any color bell peppers
• 5 giant garlic cloves

Bring 2½ quarts of water to a rolling boil. Fill a big bowl of ice then add water. Drop the tomatoes, a couple at a time, into the boiling water for 10-12 seconds - stirring.

Immediately scoop them out with a slotted spoon and into the ice water. Stir and then leave them for several minutes to keep the flesh from cooking. Do this with the garlic, for the same amount of time and the whole peppers too, but the peppers will take about a minute or longer in the boiling water, to loosen their skins. Follow by immersing them in ice water also. Once the tomatoes and garlic are peeled, the peppers peeled and seeded, chop them well, into a big bowl. Add the other chopped, fresh ingredients. Celery, onions and green onion.

Drizzle with 2-3T EVOO and whatever seasonings will be best for your future recipes. I had 12 cups to freeze in 2c amounts, in each of 6 quart size bags.

Gazpacho

To what's left in the bowl, I added two 5-inch pickling cucumbers and blended it well to make a quart of fresh Gazpacho. I pour some in a bowl and heat it for 30 seconds in the microwave, just to take the chill off, then top with a dab of sour cream, a sprinkle of dill, avocado slices, and serve it with whole grain crisp bread.  

It is SO good! . .Lin