Southwestern Gazpacho

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            FOOD FUNNY
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Thanks again to "L. Hadley, somewhere in California" for this:

Things We Learned as Judges at the County Fair:

10. There's no beef in a cow pie.

9. "Swishing and spitting" may work in a wine tasting, but don't
count on getting away with it in the decorated wedding cake division.

8. Feeding prize-winning chili to prize-winning hogs results in some
seriously prize-winning flatulence.

7. A cake can have no more than 18 layers before tragedy strikes.

6. No matter how good it looks, stay away from Fran's "Fire In the
Hole! Habanero Death Fudge."

5. When the muffins are presented with a garnish of $100 bills, be
prepared to distract the department head.

4. Combining the tractor and taffy pulls into a single event? Not
quite as smart as it sounded.

3. Stay away from the tilt-a-whirl after judging Bob's
"Deep-Fried-Chili-Cotton-Candy-Surprise."

2. Those "New York City Hogs" are really sewer-bred alligators in
pink body suits.

And the #1 Thing We Learned as Judges at the County Fair...

1. Not all oysters come from the sea.

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            TODAY'S RECIPE
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My imaginary girlfriend Betty Lou grew up on her family's ranch
outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and her family calls this delicious
soup simply "tomato soup." The gazpacho designation is mine because
of its resemblance to the classic Spanish soup, but this dish is a
true Southwestern original. Betty Lou warns to go easy on the hot
sauce and let diners add more at the table if they like, or as she
puts it, "if they desire more fire." She's so clever.

Southwestern Gazpacho

2 red bell peppers, halved and cored
2 cups (500 ml) tomato juice
1/2 cup (125 ml) red wine vinegar
1/4 cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup (60 ml) chopped onion
4 plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 seedless cucumber, peeled and chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Hot sauce to taste (optional)
2 Tbs (30 ml) chopped fresh cilantro (coriander leaves) or parsley
1 avocado, seeded, peeled, and diced
2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped

Place the bell pepper halves cut side down on a greased baking sheet
and flatten them slightly with the palm of your hand. Place about 3
inches (8 cm) below a preheated broiler and broil until the skins are
charred and black, 10 to 15 minutes. Place in a paper bag and let
rest for 15 minutes. Slip off and discard the charred skins. Add the
peppers and the tomato juice to an electric blender and process until
smooth. Transfer to a mixing bowl and add the vinegar, olive oil,
onion, tomatoes, and cucumber. Process in batches in the blender
until blended but still chunky. Refrigerate until well chilled, at
least 3 hours. Adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, and optional
hot sauce and stir in the parsley immediately before serving. Garnish
with chopped avocado and hard-cooked eggs. Serves 4 to 6.
Received on Tue Sep 21 09:36:47 2004