Gazpacho

Ingredients

1½ lbs vine-ripened tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
½ green bell pepper chopped
½ cup Spanish onion
1 cup cucumber, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 lime, juiced
2-3 tsps white balsamic vinegar
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1-2 tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsps fresh basil leaves, chiffonade

Directions

Fill a 6-quart pot halfway full of water, set over high heat and bring to a boil.

Make an X with a paring knife on the bottom of the tomatoes. Drop the tomatoes into the boiling water for 20-30 seconds, remove and transfer to an ice bath and allow to cool until able to handle, approximately 1 minute. Remove and pat dry. Peel, core and seed the tomatoes. When seeding the tomatoes, place the seeds and pulp into a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl in order to catch the juice. Press as much of the juice through as possible and then add enough bottled tomato juice to bring the total to 1 cup.

Place the tomatoes and juice into a large mixing bowl. Add the cucumber, bell pepper, onion, garlic, olive oil, lime juice, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Transfer 1½ cups of the mixture to a blender and puree for 15 to 20 seconds on high speed. Return the pureed mixture to the bowl and stir to combine. Pass through a fine sieve and press mixture through. Cover and chill for 6 hours or overnight. Serve with a chiffonade of basil.