Strawberry Gazpacho for #SundaySupper

The theme of this week’s #SundaySupper is Beat the Heat so we are all preparing recipes that can be made without the use of an oven.

The Grillmaster and I have been trying to “beat the heat” for a few months now as we’ve been without air conditioning in the upper floor of our house (which includes the kitchen). Did I mention we live in North Carolina? It’s not exactly a place you want to be in the summer sans A/C. We haven’t repaired the A/C because we’re planning a renovation in the fall and we were hoping to tough it out and replace the A/C when we do everything else.

The good news? It hasn’t been that bad. The Grillmaster has concocted a very complex fan management strategy and knows what windows to open at what times of the day. Sometimes you want to let cool air in and sometimes you want to keep hot air out. If it gets too hot upstairs, we seek refuge downstairs where the A/C has been working. And, fortunately, our bedroom is downstairs, so it’s been cool sleeping.

Yesterday, we got home from running some errands. We went into the bedroom and thought it felt a bit warm. The A/C was blowing air, but it wasn’t cool air! So now we don’t have A/C anywhere in the house. I think someone is trying to tell us something.

This Strawberry Gazpacho is one of the ways we’ve found to beat the heat; others include Honeydew Slush and Thyme Lemonade. The gazpacho is simple, requires no cooking, is served ice cold and uses fresh produce that’s currently in season.

We served this gazpacho in shot glasses. Larger glasses or a small bowl would have been more efficient, but the shot glasses were a lot more fun.

The Grillmaster declared that his drink needed something and it was vodka to the rescue. Here’s how he describes “enhancing” his gazpacho:

There wasn’t much room in the top of the shot glass. I had to be careful. I poured until the glass was filled to the rim. Carefully, I inserted a butter knife vertically into the glass and moved the knife slowly in a clockwise direction for three quarters of a turn, just enough to mix part of the vodka partway down in the shot glass. Withdrawing the knife, I hoisted the glass to my lips and tilted back my head as I poured the whole shot into the back of my mouth. Yeah baby! That’s what it needed. Just the right amount of burn to go with the sweet and tart flavors, then that diffusion of warmth throughout your body brought on by the alcohol and that sensation that everyone is your friend and everything is right with the world. What could be better?

I thought the gazpacho was fine without the burn, but I did wish I had peeled the tomatoes.

What’s your favorite way to beat the heat?

Strawberry Gazpacho

Adapted from Vegetable Harvest by Patricia Wells

1 pound tomatoes, rinsed, cored and quartered
1 pound strawberries, rinsed and hulled
2 teaspoons strawberry-flavored balsamic vinegar (or regular balsamic)

Purée tomatoes, strawberries and balsamic vinegar in food processor. Refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours. Serve in small glasses.

Makes 8 servings
Per serving: 29 calories, 0g fat (0g sat), 0mg cholesterol, 4mg sodium, 7g carb, 2g fiber, 4g sugar, 1g protein

Nutritional Analysis: This food is very low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium. It is also a good source of Vitamin B6, Folate, Magnesium and Copper, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Potassium and Manganese. (Source: nutritiondata.com)

The #SundaySupper gang will be sharing #BeatTheHeat recipes all afternoon on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram on Sunday, July 15, 2012. We will also have a live chat at 3 p.m. EST on Twitter and will be using the hashtag #SundaySupper. We look forward to answering questions, giving tips and inspiring you to spend more time Around the Family Table with those you love! Thanks to Jen of Juanita’s Cocina for hosting this event.

#BeatTheHeat Appetizers:

• Refreshing Chunky Shrimp Salsa ~ The Weekend Gourmet
• Totally Cool Green Hummus ~ My Kitchen and I
• Smoked Whitefish Salad Bagel Bites ~ Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Watermelon and Goat Cheese Bites ~ Chelsea’s Culinary Indulgence
• Strawberry Gazpacho ~ Diabetic Foodie
• Grilled Loaded Baked Potato Skins ~ In the Kitchen with KP
• Sweet & Tangy Chili Lime Fruit Salad ~ Sue’s Nutrition Buzz

#BeatTheHeat Salads, Soups, & Sides:

• Cool Cucumber Salad ~ Momma’s Meals
• Lemony Garbanzo Kale Salad with Tuna ~ Shockingly Delicious
• Hungarian Cucumber Salad Recipe – Uborkasaláta Recept ~ The Watering Mouth
• Tomato Salad with Macadamia Cheese ~ Cooking’s Good Vegetarian Cafe
• Char-Grilled Corn Salad ~ The Little Ferraro Kitchen
• Summertime Sweet Pea Salad ~ Granny’s Down Home Southern Cooking
• Apple and Poppy Seed Coleslaw ~ Damn Delicious
• Cold Cucumber and Rice Salad ~ Mama.Mommy.Mom
• Chilly Dilly Cucumber Soup with Shrimp ~ Comfy Cuisine
• Mom’s Creamy Pea Salad ~ Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen
• Greek (Yogurt) Potato Salad ~ Family Foodie

#BeatTheHeat Main Dishes:

• Rainbow Slaw with Steak and Chipotle Crema ~ Cooking By The Seat of our Pants
• Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken ~ Make Dinner Easy
• Rolling with Kimbap ~ Kimchi Mom
• Ranch Chicken Tacos ~ Pippi’s In The Kitchen Again
• Serrano Ham, Mozzarella and Arugula Sandwiches ~ Vintage Kitchen Notes
• Slow Cooker Root Beer Pulled Pork ~ Cupcakes and Kale Chips
• No Bake Pizza ~ The Meltaways

#BeatTheHeat Desserts:

• Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream ~ Supper for a Steal
• No-Cook Egg-Free Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream ~ Chocolate Moosey
• Peach Sorbet ~ Magnolia Days
• Icebox Chocolate Pie ~ Doggie at the Dinner Table
• Honey and Elderflower Ice Cream ~ Small Wallet Big Appetite
• Blackberry Lavender Popsicles ~ Girlichef
• Frozen Chocolate Bananas ~ In the Kitchen with Audrey
• Strawberry-Lime Margarita Ice Cream ~ Cookistry
• Elegant Fruit Jellies ~ Happy Baking Days
• Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches ~ That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream ~ Baker Street
• Vanilla Peach Swirl Frozen Yogurt ~ Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts
• Espresso and Toasted Almond Semifreddo ~ The Messy Baker
• Mango Ice Cream ~ Queen’s Notebook
• Raspberry Mousse ~ Basic and Delicious
• White Apricot & Honeysuckle Sorbet ~ Family Spice
• Biscoff Ice Cream Cupcakes ~ Juanita’s Cocina

#BeatTheHeat Drinks & Cocktails:

• Shirley Temple ~ Cravings of a Lunatic
• Prickly Pear White Wine Spritzer ~ Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Classic Daquiri ~ Katherine Martinelli
• Salty Lassi ~ Soni’s Food for Thought
• Blueberry Mint Lemonade ~ Pescetarian Journal
• Sweet Basil & Cucumber Melon Smoothie ~ Daily Dish Recipes

Wine Pairings Provided By: ENOFYLZ