BARB'S BEST GAZPACHO

      Title: BARB'S BEST GAZPACHO
  Categories: Soups
       Yield: 6 Servings
  
       2    Garlic cloves, chopped
       5    Juicy medium tomatoes
       5    Roma tomatoes, ripe
       2 md Cucumbers, English, peeled,
            -cut in 1-in pieces
       1 lg Spanish or red onion
       1 lg Green bell pepper, cored,
            -seeded and ribbed
       1 lg Red bell pepper, cored,
            -seeded and deribbed
       2 c  Tomato juice, or vegetable
            -juice cocktail
     1/4 c  Olive oil, extra virgin
     1/4 c  Red wine vinegar
     1/2 c  Vodka or vermouth (OPTIONAL)
       2 tb Lime juice, fresh
       1 tb Worcestershire sauce
       2    Glubs Tabasco sauce, or to
            -taste
     1/4 ts Cayenne pepper, or to taste
       1 tb Celery salt, or to taste
            Freshly ground pepper
       2    Inner ribs celery, very
            -finely diced
  
   Number of Servings:   6
   
   homemade garlic croutons (optional)
   
   Core the 5 medium tomatoes and coarsely chop them. Whiz the garlic in
   a blender or food processor, add the tomatoes and puree until smooth.
   Strain the puree into a large non-reactive bowl.
   
   Coarsely chop 1 of the cucumbers, 1/2 of the onion, and 1/2 of the
   green and red bell peppers.  Add the chopped vegetables to the
   processor (if using a blender, add 1/2 cup of the tomato or vegetable
   juice as well). Process until liquified; strain into the large bowl,
   pressing down with the back of a spoon to extract all liquid.
   
   Add to the bowl the remaining juice, olive oil, red wine vinegar,
   vodka or vermouth if using, lime juice, worcestershire, Tabasco,
   cayenne pepper, celery salt and pepper. Stir well. Cover and
   refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
   
   Finely dice the Roma tomatoes, remaining 1/2 onion, 1/2 green and red
   peppers and 1 cucumber.  Add the finly diced celery. Reserve,
   refrigerated in small mixing bowl.
   
   To serve, ladle soup into chilled individual bowls. Sprinkle with the
   chopped vegetables and croutons, if using.
   
   Note:  If this is just for the family, I toss all of the diced
   vegetables right into the soup as it's chilling (it doesn't last long
   enough for the veggies to get limp). And I might go to the trouble of
   making croutons, or maybe not.
   
   Posted by Barb Burgess. Courtesy of Fred Peters.
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