Featured Guest Chef: Stephanie Ito

Featured Guest Chef: Stephanie Ito has gifted us with another wonderful treat, Height-of-Summer Gazpacho. Here's what she has to share:

With just a little bit of summer remaining and heirloom tomatoes still flooding the farmer’s markets, at least in my neck of the woods here in Chicago, I am excited to share my best discovery of the month with you. I am calling it Height-of-Summer Gazpacho, because I discovered it at the height of summer. Like last month, I have already made this dish three times in the last few weeks, and am planning on having it for lunch again today. It has quickly become my favorite lunch – a big bowl of flavorful gazpacho with a piece of whole grain toast slathered with cream cheese. I can hardly wait the three hours until lunchtime.
My husband doesn’t eat cucumbers, so I have never really found a gazpacho recipe that we can both get behind. This one uses zucchini in place of the cucumber, so it has a less pronounced flavor and really lets the tomato and avocado shine through. There is a hearty amount of red wine vinegar in this dish too – it might sound like a lot, but it adds a tremendous amount to the flavor – with its tartness it brings out the sweetness and flavor of the heirloom tomatoes I have been getting at the Evanston Farmer’s Market.
The original recipe that I adapted this from called for a bunch more ingredients – olive oil, feta cheese, basil, pine nuts, cumin seeds – but with produce at the peak of its season I don’t think you need all those other things. If you are feeling inspired, feel free to garnish the gazpacho with cheese, nuts, herbs, etc. as you desire. But, rest assured, it will be delicious in its unadorned state.
Bon appétit!

Height-of-Summer Gazpacho
Makes 4-6 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes

3 large heirloom tomatoes
1 yellow pepper
1 large zucchini
1 ripe avocado
1 large shallot
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
Lots of freshly ground pepper

Coarsely chop all the vegetables and puree them all together in a food processor, or in batches in a blender. Stir in the vinegar, salt and pepper. Chill four hours or until cold. Couldn’t be easier!