Green machine

Yesterday evening, I handed my friend John a bag of vegetarian goodies through his car window -- he'd stopped by for a food pickup, but it is impossible to park in my new neighborhood, alas, so there I was out on the curb -- with the stern warning that the creamy green gazpacho that was included was highly addictive. I am not even kidding.

Two weeks ago, while I was helping out with a chef demo at the 14&U farmers' market, I slurped no less than three samples before I felt too sheepish to keep pretending they were for other people and decided to make my own batch. Kenton agreed, and the following day we whipped up a blenderful of our very own, devouring it almost instantly. And I've made two more batches since.

Good lord, it's delicious.

You should totally buy Joe Yonan's new cookbook, from whence the recipe comes, but since he was handing it out on free recipe cards I don't mind recounting it here....

Creamy Green Gazpacho

Ingredients

• 1 medium tomato, cored and cut into quarters

• 1 small cucumber, peeled and cut into large chunks

• 3 large basil leaves

• 1/2 jalapeño (optional), seeds removed

• 3/4 cup lightly packed watercress or baby spinach leaves

• 1 small celery stalk (optional)

• 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed

• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, or more to taste

• 1 tablespoon honey

• 2 ice cubes -- I smashed mine with a hammer

• Filtered water (optional)

• Kosher or sea salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

• 1/2 avocado, cut into large chunks

Directions

Combine the jalapeño with tomato, cucumber, avocado, basil, watercress or spinach, celery, garlic, red wine vinegar, honey, and ice cubes in a blender or the bowl of a food processor and puree until smooth. Add 1/4 cup or more water to thin the mixture, if necessary. 

Taste and season with salt, pepper, and more vinegar, if needed. Refrigerate until cold.