Gazpacho

What do I make for dinner when the temperatures are over 90 for a week straight and the humidity is stifling? Gazpacho! This gazpacho recipe is quick, easy, and healthy. It can be served right away, but since I like my gazpacho super cold, I prefer to make it several hours or a day ahead.

Ingredients:
2 cups tomato juice, fresh or canned
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
3 large tomatoes (preferably heirloom and I usually try to use a mix of yellow and red)
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks
1 small white onion, peeled and cut into chunks
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into chunks
1 clove garlic, peeled
5-6 dashes of Worcestershire
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Combine all of the ingredients except the salt and pepper in a blender. Start on low speed and quickly increase the speed to medium. Blend until almost smooth. (Note: Although I use a regular blender, I'm sure you could put all of the ingredients into a soup pot and use a stick blender instead.) Taste and season with salt and pepper. Add a couple dashes of hot sauce or more dashes of Worcestershire, depending on taste preference. Chill until ready to serve. Garnish with finely diced cucumbers, and/or fresh basil, and/or crumbled goat cheese.