Gazpacho Soup (Chilled Tomato Soup Recipe)

Gazpacho is a refreshing first course I  just had to make before the summer ended. The preparation is very easy. Cucumber, roasted red bell peppers, onions and fresh tomatoes are blended together. I flavored the cold soup with garlic, lemon, tarragon, a bit of agave nectar and extra-virgin olive oil. To provide a touch of saltiness, I topped the soup with oil-cured olives.

I served it chilled with "oeuf à la coque"-style quail eggs ("soft-boiled eggs" in English). Accompany it with lightly toasted noor thin bread from the folks at California Lavash and you'll have a truly fun summer dish!

Want some lavash to try out the recipe yourself? Don't forget to enter our contest in the box below!

Cucumber and Yogurt Salad Recipe

I'm still working on using the cucumbers from our garden. I know my husband Lulu spent a lot of time planting all the vegetables so I try my best to make flavorful dishes using the results of his hard labor. 

Today I used Marketmore cucumbers and served them as a first course. The dish was composed of seeded, sliced cucumbers, finely chopped pickled grape leaves and diced red bell peppers. I tied the flavors of the salad together with a dressing made with yogurt, mustard and olive oil.

I understand that the process of planting, watering and caring for the vegetables requires a lot of work, so I definitely feel responsible for creating unique dishes that showcase the quality of the ingredients. Love you Lulu! Don't we make a great team?

Cucumber Soup Recipe

My husband Lulu gathered so many Marketmore cucumbers from our vegetable box over the weekend that our family's had to work hard to keep up. I made the family's favorite cucumber sandwiches and once we had our fill of those, I made a big bowl of cold cucumber soup. I realized that cucumbers can taste pretty mild, so I added smoked blue cheese and plenty of fresh herbs to ampup the flavor. 

Planting your own vegetables can be so rewarding, plus I've noticed that homegrown cucumbers are so much more fragrant than the one from the market. I could actually smell the soup in the kitchen from my front door!

I still have a few cucumbers left from this batch, so I'll probably make some raita (Indian yogurt sauce) for tomorrow. Do you have any suggestions?  

Cold Cucumber and Arugula Soup Recipe

This weekend we had gorgeous weather. It was our first chance to enjoy the sun and eat outside, so I prepared a wonderful Sunday brunch for the family. The centerpiece of the meal was a chilled soup flavored with arugula and cucumber.

Arugula gives both an attractive color and a wonderful taste to the soup. If you’ve never had it, it tastes like a cross between mustard and hazelnut. I served the refreshing soup with little puff pastry appetizers. Easy, healthy and delicious.

Bun Thit Nuong Recipe

Bún thịt nướng is my kind of comfort food. It's a simple Asian meal that consists of room-temperature rice vermicelli noodles and đô chua (pickled veggies) topped with grilled meat. I marinated two rib-eye steaks with soy sauce, oyster sauce, ginger garlic paste, palm sugar, green onions and sesame seeds.

The ingredients that accompany the rice noodles can vary. I made this version with my favorites: sautéed crab (cua), shrimp (bún tôm nướng) and grilled beef (bún bò nướng). Of course, you could adapt this meal with fried fish (bún cá chiên), chicken (gà), eggrolls (bún chả giò thịt nướng) or even lemongrass tofu (for a vegetarian version). What I like most is that it's light and healthy without being too terribly difficult to make (I prepped everything separately the day before). And it doesn't hurt that it looks so appetizing!