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A fresh and spicy chilled soup. Make it creamy by whisking in some sour cream right before serving.

Traditional Gazpacho

1 1/2 pounds tomatoes, peeled seeded* and diced
1 medium white onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 medium cucumber, peeled seeded and finely chopped
1 large green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 cups tomato juice
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves large garlic, finely chopped
1 jalapeño chile, seeded and chopped**
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. Combine half the tomatoes with the onion, cucumber and bell pepper in a large bowl.
2. In a blender or food processor, purée remaining tomatoes with the tomato juice, olive oil, garlic, jalapeño, salt and pepper. Stir into vegetables and mix well. Chill until served.

Makes 4 servings.

*To peel and seed a tomato, lightly score an 'x' into the bottom end with a sharp paring knife. Drop into boiling water for 30 seconds, or until skin just begins to tear. Remove with a slotted spoon into ice water. When cool enough to handle, peel off skin, cut in half and gently squeeze to remove seeds. Proceed with recipe.

**Working with jalapeños or other chiles: Capsaicin is the ingredient in chiles that causes the burning sensation associated with fresh peppers. It's a good idea to use rubber gloves when handling fresh chiles. (Disposable surgical gloves, available at most drugstores, work best for this.) If you choose not to use gloves, be extremely careful not to touch any part of your body, especially your eyes. After you've finished handling the chiles, wash your knife and cutting board with hot soapy water to ensure that there is no carry-over to other foods that may come in contact with the peppers.