Gazpacho, Hummus, Scones, And More

I cooked a lot this week, especially yesterday. It was such a stormy day out, it just made me feel like staying in and hunkering down in the kitchen.

First I made Cook's Illustrated's creamy gazpacho recipe. The key is salting the veggies and letting them sit for an hour before pureeing them. This draws flavors out of the cell walls - and produces one heck of a soup. I could've eaten the whole vat of it in one sitting.

Then I whipped up Zahav's Israeli hummus recipe. Zahav is one of our favorite restaurants in Philly. Chef Michael Solomonov makes THE BEST hummus.

Finally came strawberry and basil scones from Better Homes and Gardens. They get a double dose of strawberries - both fresh and dried. The basil really complements the berries well.

Earlier this week I cooked asparagus with parmigiano. I'd never thought of combining the two before, but now it's like my second favorite preparation after curried. And I baked portabellas stuffed with chopped squash and tomatoes. 400 degrees for 35 minutes - what could be easier? So fresh and summery.

Next up: DC Beer Week. Expect a full report!