The benefits of travel are infinite, but one that would make the top of my list is immersing oneself in each country’s cuisine.  Its food invites travelers to appreciate the intricacies of another culture, so it goes without saying I came home from our trip to France filled with inspiration from the South and driven to recreate many dishes we savored.

Something we saw everywhere from grocery stores, delis and restaurants and that we ended up consuming on repeat, was gazpacho. It’s a chilled soup filled with seasonal vegetables and in today’s case, fruit as well. Like many of my favorite dishes, gazpacho is a blank canvas as the flavor profiles are endless and can be tuned to each one’s palates. One evening just outside of Aix, our friends took us to a quaint restaurant that was run by a Michelin star chef (although not a Michelin star restaurant) with two fixed menus. We all chose the same option, which included an appetizer of two types of gazpachos, of which one was strawberry. We all loved the unique taste and as soon as I returned home, I began my research of how to recreate this beautiful starter, which makes for a perfect traditional Friday afternoon happy hour.

Gazpacho is a classic dish that takes advantage of summer’s bounty. While it’s originally from Spain, it’s also enjoyed in France. It’s said that this chilled soup should be drunk; however, we also ate it with a spoon. It’s the perfect refreshing starter for any meal on a hot day, helping keep up that hydration with its plethora of fruits and veggies. The added bonus is the simplicity in its preparation as all you need is a rough chop of all the ingredients and a blender. Let it chill in the fridge for at least one hour before serving to allow the flavors to meld and voilà, you have the perfect summer appetizer.

Cheers!

Strawberry Gazpacho

• 1 lb. strawberries
• ½ cucumber, unpeeled
• 5 tomatoes
• ½ jalapeno, seeded
• 3 green onions
• 4 garlic cloves
• Handful fresh basil
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 teaspoons salt
• Pinch of freshly ground pepper
• Drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar to each serving

Roughly chop all of the above fruits and vegetables. Add them to a blender, followed by the lemon juice, salt and pepper and blend together for one minute. Refrigerate for at least one hour. Once chilled, to each serving add a drizzle of good quality olive oil, I like Durant, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Enjoy!