i say "tomato," you say "tomahto" (or maybe you also say "tomato"...)

the best time of the year in terms of vegetables and fruit is nigh upon us in northern california! well actually, it's not nigh - it's already here. unlike the east coast (where i grew up), the summer harvest starts in end of may / early june.

i wrote earlier this week how zucchini and stone fruits are in season. another vegetable (although i guess technically it's actually a fruit) that's started to crop up (hahahahaha - get it "CROP UP"? ...'cuz we're talking about harvests? get it? hahahahah-- *sigh* forget it.) are heirloom tomatoes.

heirloom tomatoes are loved at the house of freedmoon. our absolute favorite are green zebra tomatoes, which are a little bit more tart than most tomatoes. i haven't seen any yet at the farmers' market, but i'm sure they'll start appearing soon. at least...i sure hope they do. otherwise, i'm going to be a little bummed out; i love those little suckers.

besides savoring heirloom tomatoes in their purest form - in my world, this means simply sliced and layered with some fresh mozzarella and basil, and then drizzled with some really great olive oil on top - another great way to enjoy them is via gazpacho. what's gazpacho? well, as wikipedia explains it, it's a cold spanish soup that comes in many, er - well, flavors (including a warm stew variant, believe it or not).

permutations aside, i think it's safe to say that the typical american thinks gazpacho is a cold tomato soup. and by cold, i mean uncooked, since cooking would obviously change the taste of the tomato. the version i made this week also had some white peaches in it, which sweetly rounded out the savory tanginess of the tomatoes. i used a cherokee purple, an 1884, and a vintage wine, but you can obviously switch it up to whatever combination of tomatoes you like. enjoy!


Heirloom Tomato and White Peach Gazpacho

1 1/2 lb heirloom tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 lb white peaches, pitted and coarsely chopped
1 small shallot, coarsely chopped
2 tbsps good-quality extra virgin olive oil (I like Stonehouse)
6 tsps white-wine vinegar
4 tsps chopped fresh tarragon
salt and freshly ground rainbow peppercorns to taste

Combine 1/4 of tomatoes and peaches with 1 tbsp olive oil, 2 tsps vinegar, 1 tsp tarragon, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Purée rest of tomatoes and peaches with remaining ingredients in a blender until smooth. Force through a medium-mesh sieve, discarding solids. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate for an hour, or until chilled.

Divide gazpacho into 4 soup bowls and top with tomato-peach salsa. Serve with grilled burrata sandwiches. Serves 4.