Yes this summer is turning out to be a scorcher. For the last three weeks its been so hot that by midday we and the plants need to cool down….
My favorite cool down of the moment is a chilled cup of anise hyssop gazpacho. Its really easy with little cooking and only a few ingredients. The flavor of the anise with the slightly sour and tangy chili is very refreshing and has a lot of zip. Here is the recipe out of Foraged Flavor (serves 6) (Thank you Eddy Leroux!)
16 ripe red plum tomatoes
1 ounce (25 large 3-5 inch) anise hyssop leaves
6 slices white bread without the crust
1/3 cup sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon red pepper or chili flakes
Remove the skins off the tomatoes by blanching them for 15 seconds in boiling water. ( You can remove the seeds but I didnt)
In a vitamix, or other blender, blend the tomatoes, anise hyssop, bread, vinegar, olive oil, sugar, salt and red pepper. Puree for a minute or more until smooth. Pour into a bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Serve cold. THATs IT!
I sprinkled some extra bits of anise hyssop flower on the top before serving. The flowers are incredibly aromatic.
