TasteFood

If heat could speak, then it would have been shouting this weekend. Summer is in full force, and the temperatures are soaring. When it's this hot, appetites wane, thirst dominates, and food takes on a cool and liquid quality. In other words, it's time for gazpacho.

Gazpacho is a raw tomato-based soup blended with a cornucopia of produce. It's perfect when the weather is stifling. No cooking is required: The spiced tomato juice quenches thirst, and a confetti of chopped vegetables refreshes and nourishes without feeling heavy. I prefer to keep my gazpacho chunky. I don't puree it, so I can take pleasure in each slurpy mouthful of crunchy vegetables mingling with cool juice.

The usual vegetables in gazpacho are tomatoes, cucumbers and onions. I always add more for color, flavor and texture. Carrots and bell peppers add sweetness, chile peppers add a kick of heat, even fennel is a nice addition for its anise flavor and crispy texture. Spices can either tip toward the Southwest with cumin or veer to the Mediterranean with basil and oregano.

In this recipe, I took inspiration from the Bloody Mary, my favorite veggie cocktail, and added celery, Worcestershire sauce and a generous squirt of Tabasco. It essentially tastes like a Virgin Bloody Mary, with a whole lot of crispy garnishes. And now that we're talking cocktails, you might even be tempted to add a splash of vodka to finish it -- and why not? If you're in the mood (and appropriately of age), take that extra step and add a glug of vodka for a wondrous beverage-soup-and-salad in a glass, and you'll have a perfect (adult) antidote to a hot and shouty day.

Bloody Mary Gazpacho

Prep time: 20 minutes

Chilling time: 2 to 6 hours

Yield: makes 6 servings (At first, the soup will be quite thick with all the ingredients. It will become more juicy while it chills in the refrigerator.)

1 quart tomato juice

2 large vine-ripened tomatoes, stemmed and seeded, finely diced

1 large celery stalk, finely diced

1 large carrot, finely diced

1 English cucumber with skin, seeded, finely diced

1 medium red bell pepper, stemmed and seeded, finely diced

1 medium poblano pepper, stemmed and seeded, finely diced

1 small red onion, finely chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed and seeded, minced

1 large garlic clove, minced

Juice of 1 lemon

Juice of 1 lime

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley leaves (or cilantro)

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the parsley. Mix together and taste for seasoning. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 6 hours.

Before serving, stir in the parsley. If serving as a soup, ladle into bowls. To serve as a cocktail, mix 1 cup gazpacho with 1/2 ounce vodka, or to taste. Serve in a glass with a lime wedge.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

Caption 01: Photo by Lynda Balslev for TasteFood.

When it's summertime and the living is easy, I can't think of a better way to enjoy the heat than with a refreshing, thirst-quenching beverage. Fruit syrups are a great addition to drinks, adding sweetness, fruity flavor, and vibrant color, and when there are more berries in the garden than you can shake a stick at, I gather a bunch and cook them with sugar, water, or citrus to make a versatile syrup to mix into drinks or drizzle over fruit.

Depending on the mood or time of day, I'll stir a few spoons of fruit syrup into icy glasses of Prosecco or sparkling water. If I'm feeling extra festive, I'll muddle a jigger-full with mint, lime, and rum and call it a Mojito. If you have extra syrup, freeze it in ice cube trays to pop into drinks or thaw later in the year for nostalgic sip of summer.

Blackberry Syrup

Feel free to substitute other berries, such as raspberries, strawberries, or boysenberries for the blackberries.

Blackberry Syrup

Makes about 1 cup

12 ounces blackberries

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

1/2 cup sugar

Combine all of the ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the blackberries soften and release their juices, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and process to blend. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve, pushing down on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard the seeds. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Blackberry Spritzers

Makes 1 serving

Ice cubes (optional)

1 part blackberry syrup

2 parts chilled sparkling water, white wine, or Prosecco

Lime wedge and mint leaves for garnish

Fill a wine or cocktail glass with ice, if using. Add the syrup and sparkling water and stir to blend. Garnish with lime and mint.

Blackberry Mojito

Makes 1 serving

1/2 lime, cut into 4 wedges

2 sprigs mint, plus extra leaves for garnish

2 tablespoons (1 ounce) blackberry syrup

Crushed ice

1.5 ounces white rum

Sparkling water

1 to 2 blackberries for garnish

Muddle 2 lime wedges, the mint sprigs, and syrup together in a sturdy highball glass. Fill the glass with crushed ice. Pour the rum over the ice and top with a splash of sparkling water. Garnish with whole blackberries, remaining lime wedges, and mint.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

Caption 01: Photo by Lynda Balslev for TasteFood.

I've been on a barbecue bender. It's only June, and I need a time-out. This salad presents the perfect interlude. Fattoush is a Middle Eastern garden salad tumbled with toasted pita bread and feta cheese. The pita pieces serve as croutons, adding crispy contrast to the soft salad leaves, while absorbing the tangy sumac-infused vinaigrette. Sumac is a tart red berry which is dried, ground and used for cooking in Middle Eastern cuisine. This fresh and light salad is a wonderful antidote to meaty excess and a healthy vegetarian option for easy weeknight dining.

Serves 4 to 6

Vinaigrette:

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 small garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

1/4 teaspoon dried sumac

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Pita:

2 pita breads

Extra-virgin olive oil

Salad:

2 romaine lettuce hearts, coarsely chopped

2 cups arugula leaves

1/2 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 English cucumber, quartered lengthwise, thinly sliced

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives

1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese, plus extra for garnish

1/4 cup coarsely chopped mint leaves, plus extra for garnish

1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro leaves

1. Combine all of the vinaigrette ingredients, except the olive oil, in a small bowl. Add the oil in a steady stream, whisking constantly until emulsified.

2. Preheat the oven broiler or grill. Lightly brush the pita bread with olive oil and cut each pita into 6 wedges. Broil or grill until light golden and crisp. Remove from the heat, cool to the touch, and break into bite-size pieces.

3. Combine the salad ingredients and the pita in a large bowl. Drizzle half of the vinaigrette over the salad and toss to combine. Add additional vinaigrette to taste and toss again. Serve garnished with feta and mint.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

Caption 01: Photo by Lynda Balslev for TasteFood.