Jackson Free Press

The local farmers markets and our own home gardens have been bursting with tomatoes all summer. This delicious cold tomato soup recipe is a wonderful way to enjoy the last tomatoes of the season. Because gazpacho is made with raw vegetables, it is healthy and refreshing.

It is believed that the soup originates from an Arabian soup made of bread, garlic, water and olive oil. Today, it is still a staple throughout Spain and enjoyed most often in the hot months of summer. The glowingly beautiful Spanish actress Penelope Cruz said recently that she eats gazpacho "almost every day." I'll have what she's having!

While there are modern variations that do not contain tomatoes, this recipe came from my mother's friend whose father came from northern Spain and it is authentic.

Gazpacho Ingredients

1-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 46-ounce can tomato juice

1/4 cup olive oil

2-3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

3 tomatoes, finely diced (about 2 cups)

1 cucumber, peeled and diced

1 green pepper, diced

1 cup shredded carrots

1 cup thinly sliced celery

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions or scallions

Directions

Combine the garlic, sugar, salt, tomato juice, olive oil, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce, beating with a whisk to blend in oil at end. Cover and chill while preparing vegetables.

Stir vegetables into first mixture, then cover and chill at least one hour (up to 24 hours) before serving.

Makes 10 cups.

Locally Made

Google "Mississippi farms," and you'll find many resources, probably more than you knew we still had. Here are a few of the state's farms.

• Pickett Farms—Terry; Livestock; mississippimeats.com.

• Reyer Farms—Lena, Miss. Produce and livestock; reyerfarms.com

• Simmons Farm Raised Catfish—Yazoo City; Catfish and catfish products; simmonscatfish.com

• Cooper Farms & Vineyard—Morton, Miss., Produce. Find the farm on Facebook.

• Brownlee Farms—Red Banks, Miss. Produce; brownleefarms.com

• Woodson Ridge Farms—Oxford; produce; woodsonridgefarms.com