Charred tomato gazpacho, heritage tomatoes and garden flowers
A refreshing tomato gazpacho, perfect for hot summer days.
Ingredients
For the gazpacho
- 1.2kg/2lb 12oz heritage tomatoes
- 2 red peppers
- 2 red onions, halved
- 2 slices sourdough bread, crusts removed, torn
- 1 litre/1¾ pints vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 50ml/2fl oz sherry vinegar
- 20²µ/½´Ç³ú basil
To serve
- 1 clove elephant garlic, finely chopped
- 2 celery sticks, diced
- ½ cucumber, diced
- 300g/10½oz mixed cherry tomatoes, diced
- 5 basil leaves, roughly torn
- splash of sherry vinegar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 thick slices sourdough bread
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- edible garden flowers such as nasturtiums and marigolds (optional)
Method
Preheat a griddle or light the barbecue. When the coals have died down, put the heritage tomatoes, peppers and onions onto the coals or the griddle. Leave to char for 20–30 minutes, turning occasionally. When soft and blackened, remove from the heat and, when cool enough to handle, peel the skin from the tomatoes and onions, and remove the stalk and seeds from the peppers.
Place the cooked tomatoes, onions and peppers into the blender with the torn bread, stock, olive oil, vinegar and basil. Blend until smooth and season with salt and pepper. Either chill in the fridge overnight or pour into a bowl set over ice if serving immediately.
In a bowl, mix together the garlic, celery, cucumber and cherry tomatoes. Add the basil, splash of sherry vinegar, drizzle of olive oil and mix again. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Drizzle the bread with olive oil and toast over the barbecue or griddle. Serve the soup in bowls, topped with the cherry tomato mixture and edible flowers. Serve the toasted sourdough alongside to share.