Chilled Tomato Gazpacho from Metrofresh

Above is the Chilled Tomato Gazpacho from MetroFresh that I had as part of lunch yesterday. This is my first time eating Gazpacho. I have heard much about this category of chilled soups (wonder if that is a good definition of 'gazpacho?') but never ended up cooking one or ordering it either. Anyway, first impressions? Tastes like a liquified version of tomato salsa, and I don't mean that in an uncomplimentary way at all! It's just my layperson way of describing the taste. The tomatoes weren't too tart but they weren't sweet either. As tomatoes come back into season, I suppose the gazpacho would be far sweeter. Mild taste of onion and garlic, and there probably was some cilantro added but I couldn't see it. I liked the texture of the dish; how do you achieve a uniform texture with tomatoes and onions that still feels like soup?

P mentioned that it should have contained cucumbers as well. Not this one - I don't think it did.

A Fabulous looking Slice of Pizza

Pizza from dinner a few nights back. The base was made of organic whole wheat and it came from Harry's Farmers Market, Marietta. A packet of 2 pizza bases costs $4.99, if I remember correctly. For the first time, I made a pizza sauce with tomato paste, fresh basil, thyme and freshly ground black pepper. Toppings included red, yellow and orange bell peppers, sliced onions and shredded vegetarian organic mozzarella cheese.

Verdict? The pizza looked fabulous! As far as taste goes, the sauce was a little too sour. I think I should have added some sugar to cut the tartness. Tomato having such a dominant flavor, I couldn't do much else... :(

Basil Pesto Noodles

I know this blog is really about resources for vegetarians but I simply couldn't resist putting up two pictures.

Both are pictures of a most perfect platter of basil pesto noodles. Now the noodles were soba style but made of spelt, if I remember right. I got them from Dekalb Farmers Market. I probably got the red and yellow peppers from there as well.

Now the basil pesto, the oh-so-heavenly, fragrant and verdant pesto... I bought a bunch of fresh basil from Sandy Springs Farmers Market. Made a batch of pesto right after I got home. Put it in the refrigerator until I made these noodles.

It was the most spectacular and memorable plate of basil peso noodles. Oh, now that I am looking at the pictures, I think I also added in fresh tomatoes. Yes, oh yes.

Yet another summer sandwich

Nothing says summer like basil. Or peaches. Or figs. Or tomatoes. Well, you get the picture. Summer brings us such a bonanza of fruits, herbs, vegetables. Everything tastes juicier, fresher... oh so succulent! Whether you bite into a ripe tomato or a peach, it feels like such a complete indulgence.

So this last weekend, we went to the Sandy Springs Farmers Market and got home a big bunch of basil among other things. I made a batch of pesto. What you see below is lunch today. Sandwich flats and mozzarella came from Trader Joes, tomatoes from Harrys Farmers Market (I ensured that the variety I picked came from Tennessee - no more West Coast produce for me!), freshly ground black pepper.

Summer is fleeting; Fall is almost here. Let's celebrate the remaining days of this magical season!