Recipe: White Gazpacho with Almonds and Grapes

Earlier this year, I was in the Mediterranean where simple grilled foods are served with a splash of fresh lemon juice and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.

In Greece, large chopped salads of cucumbers, tomatoes still warm from the garden and snipped oregano accompany every meal. Fresh pasta tossed with cheese, basil and a green vegetable is commonplace throughout Italy.

I think to myself that these dishes are the way to survive hot summers.

A warm-weather dish enjoyed throughout Latin America and the Caribbean is ceviche. Although typically made with seafood, I have had more than one version made with vegetables. After all, ceviche is nothing more than a pickling process done with lime juice or vinegar and spices. It originally was developed as a method of preservation.

I visit Jamaica each year where the local version is called escabeche. It's made with spicy scotch bonnet peppers, allspice berries and white vinegar. I spent a week in Spain and, although I dislike eating raw tomatoes, I slurped gazpacho in every corner of the country. Who was I to think that there was simply tomato gazpacho when, in fact, there are dozens of varieties, each more refreshing and flavorful than the next.

Here's a no-cook favorite white gazpacho recipe made from green seedless grapes and cucumbers to make your summer a bit more tolerable.

White Gazpacho with Almonds and Grapes

Makes 8 servings

6 slices white bread, crusts removed

1 cup water plus more to soak the bread

1 cup unsalted blanched almonds plus 2 tablespoons chopped almonds, for garnish

2 cups whole green seedless grapes plus 1/4 cup sliced green grapes, for garnish

1 cup peeled, seeded and chopped cucumbers

2 cloves garlic

1 cup fat-free plain yogurt

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup sherry vinegar

Salt and fresh-ground black pepper, to taste

1. Soak the white bread in water to cover 5 minutes. Drain.

2. Place whole almonds, whole grapes, cucumbers, garlic and soaked bread in a food processor fitted with the metal blade or a blender. Process or purée until combined. Add the yogurt, 1 cup water, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and continue to blend or process until smooth and creamy.

2. Chill at least 30 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped almonds and sliced grapes. Makes 8 servings.

Per serving: 248 calories, 64 percent calories from fat, 13 grams total fat, 4 grams saturated fat, 96 milligrams cholesterol, 49 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams total fiber, 10 grams total sugars, 16 grams net carbs, 7 grams protein, 80 milligrams sodium.

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