“Cold soup? Ewww!”

Poor Dad had just arrived home from a business trip to the Phoenix area and was excited to tell us about the new foods he’d enjoyed.

I, for one, was not the least bit tempted by the thought of cold tomato soup full of chopped fresh vegetables.

But for Dad, this was a heavenly combination. He loved vegetables. Especially fresh, home-grown veggies.

From the date of Mom‘s poem, below, I can guess she took a train and met up with Dad in “the city” so she could try gazpacho before making it herself. We’d moved to Fairfield a year prior when Dad was transferred to New York City; he had planted his first vegetable garden at our new house.

The End of Summer on the First of It
(Rockefeller Plaza, June 21, 1971)

Seeming colder and later in the evening,
in the season, at 6:30 supper in the summer
garden of umbrellas and bright flags, waving
in the rain. We were inside, wishing to be out
with greens and yellows, yet content.
Water on the awnings like a headache.

Then cold gazpacho soup that warms,
eternal coffee and the fruits of summer;
mixing the season: that which is,
and that which promises to be.
~ Joan Vayo, June 22, 1971

Making gazpacho was labor-intensive, but worth the effort. I was stunned by how delicious it was – and how quickly we had to plan to whip up another batch. (Gazpacho is listed as an appetizer in many descriptions online. At our house, it was always the entrée.)

Gazpacho has been around since the 7th Century; it was first concocted in the south of Spain.

Our recipe shifted throughout the years, depending on which fresh vegetables were available. One time, Dad, Mom, and I planned to only use vegetables that came from Dad’s garden. That batch was extra satisfying.

Here’s a basic recipe, which can be adjusted to suit your family’s tastes:

Gazpacho Soup

5 lbs. tomatoes from your garden
4 cups tomato juice (or V8, if you’re not a purist)
4 ribs of celery, chopped
1 medium cucumber, seeded and chopped
1 medium zucchini, seeded and chopped
2 small peppers (red or green), finely chopped
1-2 medium onions (to taste), finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup cider vinegar
Fresh lemon juice, to taste
Other fresh vegetables to taste (some recipes add corn, avocado, even watermelon and strawberries!)
Fresh chives, parsley, other herbs, to taste
Hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, to taste
Toasted croutons or chunks of Italian or French bread

Skin, core, and chop tomatoes. Add them to a large mixing bowl, along with other ingredients (except for the croutons or bread, which are served to the side or on top).

Salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill. Serve cold.

Buen provecho!

“The End of Summer on the First of It” © 1971 Joan Vayo. All rights reserved.

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