End of Summer Cold Gazpacho -or- Pasta Sauce

2# mixed cherry or grape tomatoes

6 mini peppers or 1 green bell pepper

4 mini English cucumbers

5 lg. cloves garlic

2 med. carrots

6 green onions

3/4c Spanish* EVOO

3/4c white wine vinegar

1t sugar

2t garlic salt

1t lemon pepper

1/2t cayenne pepper 

2-3t fresh ground black pepper

5 big leaves of fresh Genovese basil

Blend all of this, a little at a time, then whisk together. If you like it with more texture, you could use a food processor to keep it a little chunkier. 

Today, as I was making this, I remembered I bought some fresh spinach and cheese ravioli the other day at Costco. That sounded really good on this cool evening!

So, instead of just having a bowl of fresh, cold gazpacho, I decided to heat a little over the simmered pasta, topped with grated Manchego (sheep's milk cheese) and a little fresh, chopped, basil. Oh my. . .Now this will be my dual purpose go-to for an interesting Spanish-Portugese cold summer soup, or heated as a pasta sauce. Can't go wrong either way!

Just follow your current craving! . .Lin

*or any good quality extra virgin olive oil from ONE country - not multiple sources

Millie's Sweet Vinaigrette (and my variation)

Years and YEARS ago, when my future husband and I were dating, his mom made The Best Cucumber-Tomato Salad!  She'd peel and slice cucumbers, tomatoes and sweet onion, pour on the dressing, refrigerate an hour and serve.  Her dressing was 1c sugar, 1c white vinegar, ¼c light vegetable oil, salt and pepper.  Heat the first two and whisk just until the sugar dissolves.  Add the rest and continue whisking until it's all well blended.  This is my variation:

⅔c white vinegar

⅔c organic cane sugar

⅓c avocado oil

salt, pepper and dry dill

As mentioned above, whisk and heat the first two, just until the sugar dissolves.  Add the rest of the ingredients and continue to whisk until everything's well blended.  Pour into a shaker jar and shake well before pouring over rough peeled, sliced-diced cucumbers, a firm, red, ripe tomato, 3 sliced green onions.  

Gently mix together in a bowl and refrigerate an hour before serving.  Mix again and serve with any meal that needs a burst of sweet freshness. . .Lin