Jose Andres is one of my culinary idols.  I grew up outside of Washington DC and had the opportunity to go to a few of his restaurants as a kid, and I almost always visit at least one of his restaurants whenever I’m back in town to see my parents and sister.  Along with making incredible food, he’s an all-around awesome guy.  His work starting World Central Kitchen is incredibly inspiring, working to use existing restaurants, kitchens, and chefs to feed the world in times of crisis – from hurricanes to the coronavirus pandemic, World Central Kitchen is there to help.  This is a cause that I donate to frequently and wish I was able to devote more of my time to helping.  I’ve added a link here for you to learn more about World Central Kitchen if you’re so inclined, always happy to share a good cause!

Over the weekend, I had a bunch of rogue cherry tomatoes and cucumbers that needed to be used up, plus plenty of fresh poblano peppers on my plant outside.  I decided it was a perfect opportunity to make Jose Andres’s gazpacho recipe, which is a delightful chilled soup made of pureed summer produce that comes together in minutes in the blender.  Simply toss in your tomatoes, cucumbers, seeded peppers, vinegar, good olive oil, and salt, and you are well on your way to a light, breezy lunch.  I usually make this in the morning if I want this for lunch to give everything plenty of time to fully chill and the flavors to fully meld together.  Serve with a nice piece of toasted sourdough bread, and you have an awesome, fresh, summertime meal!

Link to access the recipe is here if you want to make it!  This recipe was published in the Washington Post along with other publications, so easy to find and hope it sparks some summer inspiration. My pictures are below from my gazpacho adventure. Happy summer, friends!

• 

• 

•