Summer Soup

It's summer and it's hot, like 100+ hot, so who in their right mind would be thinking about soup?  We are, because this is the time of year to make gazpacho, that wonderful cold vegetable soup from Spain that uses the great vegetables that are in season right now.  I make mine using 12-14 fresh Roma tomatoes, diced; 1 large cucumber, diced; 1 green bell pepper, diced; 1-2 jalapenos (depending on how hot you like it), seeded and minced; 1 1/2 tps. garlic, minced; 2 stalks of celery; diced; 1 bunch of cilantro, chopped; 1 onion, diced; salt, pepper, dried cumin, dried coriander, lemon and lime juice, all to taste; and a can of tomato juice.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and serve cold topped with slices of avocado and/or a dollop of sour cream.

Another great delicacy this time of year is fresh figs, courtesy of my neighbor's tree that grows over my back wall.  You have to get them as soon as they ripen or the beetles will beat you to them.  I'm still debating on whether to plant one in my yard this Fall.

Only one of the blue pumpkin seeds I planted came up, so I tried again and now there are 5.  As soon as each one has a couple of pumpkins that are at least 2" - 3" in diameter, I'll pinch the vine back to just above the last pumpkin so that the vines will put all their energy into the pumpkins and not the vine.  Hopefully this will insure that I have plenty of pumpkins to carve for Halloween.

I wonder if he realizes that vine is creeping up behind him?