I'm hard at work on the first of what I hope will be many nutrition and pregnancy/babies posts. This first one will focus on nutrition and fertility. I always hate it when I read posts that give advice or recommendations, but don't support their claims with any evidence. With that in mind, I've been meticulously going through different research articles, text books, etc. to gather my sources and make sure you can look up the information I present for yourself. As you might be able to guess, that takes a bit more time than the usual post. So, in the meantime, I wanted to give you a lovely summer recipe that I'm going to have to start making pretty much weekly!
This gazpacho was great. Light. Fresh. And made almost exclusively from ingredients I harvested myself at the farm! It can be altered as you wish to suit your own preferences in terms of texture, sweetness, heat, acidity, etc. We loved it. Hope you do too!
Gazpacho
Serves 4+
4-5 medium to large tomatoes (I used some slightly imperfect, but still awesome heirlooms)
3ish mediumish tomatoes, chopped/halved (again, I used a variety of heirlooms, some were very big, some small)
2-3 small or 1 very large bell pepper, roughly cut into strips
1/4 -1/3 cup diced green onion, white and most of green parts
1 small cucumber, cut into rough chunks, skin still on
1 heaping tsp minced garlic
1/2 good-sized jalapeno, seeded and finely diced (you're welcome to leave the seeds; we didn't like that much heat!)
juice of one lime
cumin
basil
parsley
2 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
2 tbsp white vinegar
In a blender, add your first 4-5 tomatoes and blend until smooth and liquid. Pour out into a large bowl.
Add your other halved tomatoes, bell pepper, green onion, cucumber, garlic, jalapeno, lime juice, olive oil, and vinegar to the blender. Pulse until the veggies are the consistency you like. Some people like it very chunky, some like it completely smooth. We liked it mostly smooth, but with a bit of texture. Whatever your preference, make it happen and then pour this mixture into the previously blended tomato "juice".
Add the cumin, basil, parsley, salt and pepper to taste. Just stir it together and take a taste (yum!). Want more heat? Add some paprika. More acid? Add more vinegar or lime juice. Sweeter? Try a bit of honey. Just tweak to your personal preference. Chill for at least 2 hours and then serve.
Husband enjoyed it with a nice grilled cheese. I loved it with a quick fried egg on some toast with a bit of mayo and fresh lettuce. A friend prefers a little crab cake on the side. Basically, you can't go wrong. :)
Gazpacho
Serves 4+
4-5 medium to large tomatoes (I used some slightly imperfect, but still awesome heirlooms)
3ish mediumish tomatoes, chopped/halved (again, I used a variety of heirlooms, some were very big, some small)
2-3 small or 1 very large bell pepper, roughly cut into strips
1/4 -1/3 cup diced green onion, white and most of green parts
1 small cucumber, cut into rough chunks, skin still on
1 heaping tsp minced garlic
1/2 good-sized jalapeno, seeded and finely diced (you're welcome to leave the seeds; we didn't like that much heat!)
juice of one lime
cumin
basil
parsley
2 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
2 tbsp white vinegar
In a blender, add your first 4-5 tomatoes and blend until smooth and liquid. Pour out into a large bowl.
Add your other halved tomatoes, bell pepper, green onion, cucumber, garlic, jalapeno, lime juice, olive oil, and vinegar to the blender. Pulse until the veggies are the consistency you like. Some people like it very chunky, some like it completely smooth. We liked it mostly smooth, but with a bit of texture. Whatever your preference, make it happen and then pour this mixture into the previously blended tomato "juice".
Add the cumin, basil, parsley, salt and pepper to taste. Just stir it together and take a taste (yum!). Want more heat? Add some paprika. More acid? Add more vinegar or lime juice. Sweeter? Try a bit of honey. Just tweak to your personal preference. Chill for at least 2 hours and then serve.
Husband enjoyed it with a nice grilled cheese. I loved it with a quick fried egg on some toast with a bit of mayo and fresh lettuce. A friend prefers a little crab cake on the side. Basically, you can't go wrong. :)