Happy summer! I cannot even believe it has been over a month since my last post. My writing life recently veered off onto a photographing curve, (the flowers have been stunning in the morning light!) and I’ve been eating so simply (but deliciously) that recipe blog posts have really not been warranted. I first tasted this incredible soup at a friend’s catering I helped out with late last summer. Then I re-created it at home – and took these photos – towards the end of the growing season, when our watermelons were finally ripe. You loyal readers from last year may remember, I wrote a haiku about one of these treasured watermelons… one of our TWO, preciously tended. Our garden also offered up two honeydew, which were absolutely scrumptious, as well. And a lone cantaloupe – well…. But then, fall, and early snow, and the rush into chilly weather thick-hot-soups and cozy foods took over. Watermelon blueberry gazpacho, though rightly fabulous, seemed out of date. Yet here we are sweating in our gardens once again, and dreams of high yield melon plants dance in our heads. So we can make a batch of this gazpacho, and take it to a picnic somewhere, slurp and share to our hearts content, then, if we’re lucky, go jump in a lake.
You truly must make this gazpacho. I’m sure you know it’s tomato-y, Spanish origins…
Watermelon Blueberry Gazpacho
With thanks to flavorsofthesun.blogspot.com, and my friend Jan. We altered the original recipe a bit for the catered event, and I did too, just a little more myself. This year, I will add a diced peach or nectarine, too, to take the place of the yellow pepper. Mmmm….
7 cups chilled, seedless watermelon, 5 1/2 cups chopped, 1 1/2 cups cut into small dice
2 -3 cups fresh blueberries
1 medium cucumber peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 tbsp. – 1/3 cup red wine or fruit-infused vinegar, to taste
2/3 cup cilantro, basil, and mint leaves, chopped
1 fresh jalapeño pepper, minced, and use a bit of the seeds as desired!
1 small red onion, finely minced
2 each of the mini, or approximately 1/4 each red, yellow, orange bell peppers, seeded and finely chopped (about 2 cups or so total)
Himalayan pink, or other favorite salt and freshly ground black pepper
Purée the 5 1/2 cups of chopped watermelon, then pour into a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients, taste and adjust seasonings. Chill for several hours, if possible, before serving. Love it –
Oh, I do
love the rosy melon!
Maybe it’s because I grew up in Muscatine, Iowa, “Watermelon Capital of the World!”
Here’s one more watermelony post of mine for you to browse, from the 2012 Paonia garden days: Reflections on a gift of watermelon pickle. Enjoy!
Pachamama's Beautiful Food 
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