White Gazpacho

Memorial Day Weekend.  Saturday was a complete was out - and I do mean wash out.  It rained the entire day on Saturday.  We had to change out entire plans for the day and focus on indoor projects.  The entire house turned upside down as we convert the office into den.  Packing up tubs of paperwork and detritus from four years of ignoring this room.  I have officially decided that I have become a horder!  We had a lovely dinner at our neighbor's house - Mel and Marni.  Grilled Salmon and Gazpacho and a delicious chocolate- peanut butter cake for my birthday.  It was a very nice evening and we hadn't seen them for weeks so it was great catching up.  Life up here would not be what it is without our lovely friends, Mel and Marni.  

On Sunday, we managed to get out into the yard despite everything being soaked and planted, and weeded and mowed grass.  The front yard takes two hours by itself and I have to break it all up so I don't kill myself.  The sun came out and we pulled a lot of the outdoor stuff from the basement out including the grill.  Tim made a wonderful meal - we did not get enough gazpacho and Tim made a different version which was so good!

White Gazpacho

1/2 medium head cauliflower, cut into 1 inch florets
 2 slices of crustless white bread
1/4 cup pine nuts (11/2 ounces)
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 large shallot, coarsely chopped
1 1/4 cups blanched slivered almonds
1/2 cup medium seedless cucumber, peeled and coarsely chopped,
1/4 cup finely diced cucumber
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt

1. In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the cauliflower until tender, about 8 minutes.  Drain, rinse under cold water until cool and drain well.

2. In a blender, combine 1 1/2 cups of cold water with the cooked cauliflower, bread, pine nuts, chopped garlic , sherry vinegar, chopped shallot, 1 cup of the slivered almonds and the coarsely chopped cucumber; blend until smooth.   Add the olive oil and pulse just until incorporated.  If necessary, add more water to thin the gazpacho.  Season the soup with salt and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.

2. Preheat the oven  to 350 degrees.  Spread the remaining 1/4 cup of slivered almonds in a pie plate and toast for about 6 minutes, until fragrant lightly golden.  Ladle the gazpacho into bowls . Garnish the soup with the toasted almonds and the finely diced cucumber and serve.