yellow pepper gazpacho on a hot day

It's blisteringly hot and humid in New Hampshire today , for the fourth day. I don't know about you, but I find it difficult to eat in this kind of weather - at least until it cools off a little in the evening, or after a nice long swim. Since I had no time to drive out to the lake, I've been wilting as the day goes on. But then I thought of making gazpacho, and an enticing thought it was; a nice blended vegetable soup, bright with yellow peppers, and refreshing with celery and cucumbers, nicely iced. Tomatoes, you say? Since I only had red tomatoes, I decided to skip them. I'm sure it's some kind of blasphemy to call it gazpacho, but there it is.

I also skipped garlic, just on a whim, thinking it might overpower the fresh subtle flavor of the cucumber and pepper. But if you want them, feel free to toss them in.

To make 2 large bowls or 4 small ones:

1 large yellow pepper, roasted and skinned, cut into small pieces ( about a cup full)

1 heaping cup of roughly chopped celery

1 1/2 cups seeded and peeled cucumber ( doesn't have to be English)

1/2 cup chopped sweet onion

1-2 T. fresh chopped Italian parsley

salt

1-2 T. virgin olive oil ( optional)

several drops of green Tabasco, or just put on the table

To roast the pepper, you can use an electric or gas grill, charring the skin all over, then tightly wrapping in a small paper bag. When cooled, rub off the charred spots, or trim with a knife. Take the core and seeds and membranes out before chopping.

Place all the chopped vegetables in the food processor, and process until smooth.

Add salt, and olive oil, as wished, and hot sauce, if desired. Chill well.

Serve in bowls, or for fun, in a martini glass.

Stay cool!