Yellow Gazpacho

Soup:
1-1/2 c chopped yellow heirloom tomatoes (only the best, ripest, sweetest ones!)
3/4 c chopped yellow bell peppers
1/2 c chopped yellow onion
1 c chopped English cucumbers (peeled and seeded)
1/2 c french bread (white part only) cut into small pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 t ground cumin
4 T white wine vinegar
1 T fresh lemon juice
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
1 sprig of fresh thyme
Salt and Pepper

Garnish:
1/4 c chardonnay (frozen)
2 t red tomato, seeded and cut into brunoise
1t chives, finely minced
1/2 t jalapeno, seeded and cut into brunoise
Hawaiian alaea sea salt


1. Pour chardonnay into a bowl and place in the freezer to make ice.
2. Place all soup ingredients except thyme, salt, and pepper into a food processer and blend until liquified. Pour mixture into a non-reactive bowl, add thyme, then salt and pepper(You'll want to undersalt it a little because you'll be garnishing with sea salt later. If you skip the sea salt, then season to taste).
3. Cover and place in refrigerator for a few hours or until cold.
4. While the mixture is cooling and macerating, prepare garnish by chopping tomato, jalapeno, and chives and mixing them together.
5. When ready to serve, force mixture through a fine-meshed seive
6. Garnish with 1t chardonnay ice, 1/8 t Alaea pink sea salt, and 1 t of the brunoise "salsa." Serve cold.

Makes four 1/2 cup servings

Grilled vegetables and dried apricots in a garlic, fennel vinaigrette

I had some leftover grilled vegetables (Fennel bulb, red onion, zucchini, and shitake mushrooms) from BBQing last night. I chopped them up, threw them on some fresh arugula, whipped up a dressing, and was surprised at how wonderful the resulting salad was.

Serves 2

2c grilled vegetables, medium dice
2c fresh arugula, washed and dried (if using pre-washed, a half bag will do)
1/4 c dried apricots, medium dice
1 large clove garlic, sliced thin
1t fennel seeds
1T extra virgin olive oil
2T olive oil
3T white balsamic vinegar
salt
pepper

Place the grilled vegetables, arugula, and apricots in a medium salad bowl.

Toast fennel seeds in a sautee pan over medium heat until they darken slighty and release their aroma. Remove the toasted seeds from the pan and grind them.

In the same pan, add your 2T olive oil and heat until shimmering. Add your sliced garlic and fry until golden brown and crispy (beware the hot spots on your pan! Don't let any garlic burn!)

Add your hot garlic and garlic oil to the white balsamic. Add the ground fennel, and the Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Toss the salad with the dressing and serve immediately.