Gazpacho

Ingredients

2 pounds fresh tomatoes
3 green onions (more if small)
1 English cucumber
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
2-3 cloves garlic
1 1/2 pints chicken or vegetable stock or water
few teaspoons sun-dried tomato puree
1 tbsp chopped parsley
salt & black pepper
2-3 tbsps red wine vinegar
4 tbsps good olive oil
1 tsp white sugar
1 small glass vodka*
1 thick slice white bread soaked briefly in a little water*

*optional but well worth considering

Method

Chop ingredients roughly (and mix with soaked bread if using). Add oil and blend briefly to give a coarse, lumpy puree. Stir in the stock, vinegar, sugar and seasoning. Chill for several hours. Stir in parsley and optional vodka just before serving.

It is traditional to hand around small dishes of chopped cucumber, red pepper, onion, hard boiled egg and croutons as accompaniments.

Salud!