Sun Ripened Tomato Gazpacho

Here is another summer time recipe that I was asked for so I am posting it for people to use next summer.

Sun Ripened Tomato Gazpacho (serves 8)

6 – 8 Medium Sized Sun Ripen Tomatoes, peeled seeded and chopped

2 cups V-8 Tomato Juice

1 Cucumber, seeded and diced

1 Red Bell Pepper, diced

2 Jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped

4 Cloves of Garlic, finely chopped

½ cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

2 limes, juiced

4 tsp. Balsamic Vinegar

3 tbls. Worchestershire Sauce

2 tsp. Ground Cumin

2 tsp. Kosher Salt

Fresh Ground Pepper

1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, chiffonade

Fill a 4 -6 quart pot will water, and bring to a boil. Drop the tomatoes into the boiling water for 15 – 30 seconds, until the skin starts to crack. Remove the tomatoes, transfer to an ice bath, and let them cool for a couple of minutes. After cooled; peel, core and seed the tomatoes. When seeding the tomatoes, place the seeds and pulp into a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl to catch the juice.

Place the tomatoes, collected juice, and V-8 into a large mixing bowl. Add all of the remaining ingredients to the bowl and stir to combine. Puree the soup with an immersion blender, until the desired consistency. I prefer mine slightly chunky.

Virginia Summer-Time Bacon Burger

Here is my entry into the Chapel Hill Court Labor Day Grill Off competition.  This entry was my third winning entry in a row and will mark my retirement from the competition.  I was inspired by trying trying to come up with a better way to create a bacon burger than wrapping bacon around the burger.

Virginia Bacon Burger (makes 16 – 18 burgers)

4 lbs. 90% Lean Ground Beef

1 ½ lbs. Hickory Smoked Bacon – finely chopped

2 Sweet Onions – finely chopped

2 tbls. of McCormick Montreal Steak Seasonings

8 oz. Goat Cheese – sliced into rounds

Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce

Good Hamburger Buns

Mango and Peach Salsa (recipe below)

Mix the ground beef, bacon, onions and steak seasonings together with your fingers.  Take a hand size ball of the ground beef mix and flatten it out. Lay a goat cheese round in the center.  Take another ball of the ground beef mix, flatten it out, place it on top of the other patty, and seal it together.  Repeat until all the patties are made. Grill to perfection. Brush both halves of the buns with the BBQ sauce and top the burger with the salsa.

Mango and Peach Salsa

4 peaches, diced

2 Mangos, peeled and diced

1 Red Onion, diced

2 jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped

2 limes, juiced

2 tbls Extra Virgin Olive Oil

½ cup of cilantro, chopped

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Toss all of the ingredients together in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate.