GAZPACHO or PARFAIT?

The theme for this week's farmer's market demo was BERRIES. With a concentration on STRAWBERRIES, since that's what's plentifully available right now. There were some amazing little baskets of RASPBERRIES a few weeks ago from Mt. Barnabe Farms (my first Marin CSA in Lagunitas). I used them in June's demo, but they have a short season. BLUEBERRIES don't seem to be local just yet, so I picked these and a few BLACKBERRIES up from Whole Foods, just for a garnish.

The recipes were all bright and colorful and loaded with flavor: A spinach salad with a strawberry balsamic vinaigrette, a strawberry gazpacho and a berry cream and cacao pudding parfait. My demo partner, Jessica, wanted to bring some chia seeds into the mix so we put some in the chocolate pudding which added a tapioca texture and some much appreciated EFA's.

GAZPACHO has to be one of the most refreshing dishes I look forward to making, serving and slurping down each summer. Traditionally made with cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, and onions, this recipe introduces another juicy player - strawberries! They add a natural sweet flavor, that compliments beautifully the crunch and tang of the vegetables. Other ingredients that might be fun to experiment with: watermelon, honeydew, kiwi, papaya, lemon cucumber, jicama, avocado. I like a chunky version of gazpacho, but some like to blend it and make it more 'drinkable'. Play with blending half and half. Blend the red ingredients and chop the green so they don't blend and make brown.

STRAWBERRY GAZPACHO RECIPE

2# strawberries, hulled and lightly crushed

1/2 C. red onion, chopped

1/2 C. red bell pepper, chopped

1 English cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 T. fresh tarragon leaves

1/4 C. balsamic vinegar

1/2 C. olive oil

splash of red wine

a few drops of lemon juice

coarse salt

fresh ground black pepper

Crush all the above ingredients together with the back of a large spoon in a large bowl. Cover and transfer to refrigerator to chill and allow flavors to meld. When ready to serve, you can blend some or all of the soup and divide between bowls or large mugs. Each serving can be garnished with strawberry slices, minced chives, finely minced red bell pepper, diced avocado and or a drizzle of olive oil.

Serves 6.

Here is a picture of the sample PARFAIT we built at the market. Ideally, each layer will be poured and set up for a minute or two so you can see all the layers you're serving. But we were in the sun and had a time frame, so the layers kind or oozed together. But, no worries, it tasted divine!! I will feature the recipe for all the layers in an upcoming post, so stay tuned. Meanwhile, know that there's a CHOCOLATElayer, a creamy BERRY layer, a sweetened NUT CREME layer, all interlaced with whole or sliced berries, your favorite granola and/or sweetened cacao nibs. Sweet, tart, creamy, chocolatey, crunchy, berry-y, you decide what to put where.

The is dairy free dessert that satisfies any sweet tooth, a healthy dollop of which could be part of breakfast or a cooling snack.

Check in next week when the secret ingredients will be revealed!

So, I knew they'd LOVE the pudding, but guess what?

They asked for seconds of the GAZPACHO.

Gotta love the FARMER'S MARKET!