what i did on my summer vacation: day 6

before going out of town, i went out to dinner with erin at auberge du pommier. lovely! it was a hot summer night so i decided on cool gazpacho with cucumber and melon to start. it was lovely! the perfect thing for summer weather.

and since the kiddo had asked "why don't we eat soup anymore" i thought it would be a lovely cottage lunch.



there were a few things we brought from the city - an organic honeydew, limes and vinegar and good olive oil - but the cucumbers, basil and bread were farm-fresh. such a simple recipe! a bit of chopping, a bit of waiting, a bit of blending.

it's an awfully pretty soup to look at, too.



cucumber melon gazpacho, adapted from auberge du pommier

note: you have to start at least the night before you want to serve it!

2 cups cubed day-old white bread
1/2 large honey dew melon, peeled and cubed
2 medium cucumbers, seeded, peeled, and cubed
3 cloves garlic, chopped
salt & pepper
3 large leaves of basil, torn
juice of one lime
white balsamic vinegar
olive oil

place the bread cubes in the bottom of a large bowl.

toss the cubed melon and cucumber with remaining ingredients, adjusting seasoning to taste.

dump the cucumber mix on top of the bread, cover, and chill overnight (or over two nights, as it happened for us).

blend in batches, adding more olive oil until the soup thickens to a nice consistency.

taste for seasoning, adjust as necessary, and serve!