Well friends, if you live east of the Mississippi you’re most likely sweating through a heat wave right now, and hot dang it is HOT. It’s been a week filled with popsicle breaks, cooling down in our walk-in cooler, and multiple outfit changes throughout the day to ditch dusty, sweat-soaked clothes.
Thankfully, the summer veggies don’t seem to mind the heat, and the tomatoes are at their absolute PEAK. As a farmer, there is no greater joy (and relief!) to see these gorgeous fruits ripen after we’ve been tending to them painstakingly all season long.
My personal favorite tomato variety this season has to be these gorgeous Hot Streak tomatoes (see photo below on the left)… it’s my first year growing this variety, and it’s definitely earned a spot on my tomato crop list moving forward.
Despite the triple digits, we had a truly magnificent box this week for our CSA members… here’s a peek at all the goodies that filled our large sized shares:
And in non-farming news… I’m thrilled to share that my new cyanotype collection is LIVE! This collection of original cyanotypes (aka sun-prints) is a celebration of everyone’s favorite wild roadside flower (Queen Anne’s Lace!) and all things SUMMER.
I created this collection on our farm in North Carolina using the essential elements of mother nature – sunlight, hand-harvested botanicals, iron salts, and water. Each piece is truly one of a kind, bringing light + life into your space. It’s been a joy to create each piece in this collection, and I’m so grateful for your support. (If you want to keep up with my cyanotype shenanigans, you can follow along on instagram).
Okay, time to get cooking! It’s the first Friday of the month, which means this week’s new recipe – watermelon gazpacho with burrata – is available to ALL subscribers. For full access to my recipes every week, consider joining as a paid subscriber.
It’s too hot to even *think* about turning on the oven right now, so naturally, it’s time for gazpacho. And not just any gazpacho… how about some luscious watermelon gazpacho topped with creamy burrata cheese? Yes thank you more please.
Maybe it’s the heat and humidity talking, but this gazpacho might just be the best thing I’ve made / eaten all summer?! (even my 2-year old loves it)
This gazpacho is the perfect balance of sweet & savory – I promise that even with the watermelon, it’s not overly sweet at all – and it’s beautifully herby / tangy / salty and has the perfect crunch (you blend the soup until it’s velvety smooth, and then stir in lots of reserved chopped veggies so you still get a nice crunch in every bite).
I can’t think of a more fitting dish to bring to a 4th of July party during a heat wave… so I hope you give this one a try, and let me know what you think.
Happy cooking and stay cool out there!
xo Michelle
Keep reading for the full recipe (and a handy 1-page PDF for easy printing).
PS – This week *everyone* gets access today’s recipe. If you enjoy this newsletter and want to receive a new hyper-seasonal recipe every Friday, consider becoming a paid subscriber. Paid subscribers also get access to my (ever-growing) full recipe archive, handy gardening guides, video tutorials, and access to our private community Help Line.
Serves 4-6
5 cups chopped seedless watermelon
1 pint (2 cups) cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters (reserve half)
1 cucumber, peeled and cut to small dice (reserve half)
1 red bell pepper, cut to small dice (reserve half)
1 small red onion, finely diced
½ jalapeno pepper, seeds and pith removed (optional)
¼ cup fresh basil leaves (reserve some for garnish)
¼ cup fresh parsley leaves (reserve some for garnish)
1 garlic clove, peeled
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
8 ounces burrata (two 4-oz burrata balls), each ball broken in half
Coarsely chop a seedless watermelon until you have 5 cups, and place in a blender.
Chop 2 cups cherry tomatoes into quarters, and place half of the chopped tomatoes into the blender, and reserve the other half in a large bowl. Peel 1 cucumber and chop to a small dice, again placing half in the blender and reserve the remaining diced cucumber in the bowl with the cherry tomatoes. Chop 1 red bell pepper to a small dice and place half in the blender and reserve the other half in the bowl with the tomatoes and cucumber.
If your blender is getting full, cover with a lid and blend for about 10 seconds, to break down the watermelon. Remove the lid on the blender and add ½ jalapeno (seeds and pith removed), ¼ cup basil leaves, ¼ cup fresh parsley leaves, 1 garlic clove, 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt and blend on high speed until very smooth, about 30-60 seconds.
Taste and adjust seasoning as needed – you may want more salt or more acid (either more red wine vinegar or lime juice). When the soup is seasoned to your liking, pour into a large food storage container. Stir in the reserved chopped cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and red bowl peppers into the soup (I also like to hold back a handful of these reserved vegetables to garnish the soup when it’s time to serve). Cover the container with a lid and store in the fridge for at least 2 hours (and up to overnight) to chill and allow the flavors to meld.
To serve, divide the gazpacho among serving bowls and garnish with additional chopped cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, basil and/or parsley etc. Break 8 ounces burrata into large pieces and place a portion in each bowl. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle some flakey sea salt and enjoy!
That’s all for this week! If you enjoyed this newsletter, it means the world if you tap that “heart” button below, share this with a friend, subscribe, or leave a comment (it really helps more people find this newsletter)! Thank you so much for your support.
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