Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho

• Chef’s Note: Not all tomatoes are created equal. The difference in flavor between an heirloom varietal in July and a Roma tomato in the middle of winter is night and day. If you have access to a local farmers market I highly recommend buying your tomatoes there when they are in season. The difference in freshness and flavor will be significant. Most heirloom varieties will work well for gazpacho. I use a mix of dark red and orange heirlooms for the color balance. Beefsteak, Brandywine, Cherokee Purple, Amana Orange, and Marvel Stripe, just to name a few, are all great for gazpacho. Pro tip, never put tomatoes in the fridge. Store them at room temperature.
• Set your oven to 350°F (bake setting instead of a roast setting if your oven has it).
• Toss your cubed sourdough bread with a small drizzle of olive oil and spread on a baking sheet in a single layer.
• On a separate baking sheet, spread the almonds in a single layer.
• Place both baking sheets in the oven and lightly toast for 8 minutes. The sourdough bread should be golden and crisp. And the almonds should be fragrant and lightly golden.
• Remove from the oven and let cool.
• Combine tomatoes, sweet chiles, cucumber, shallot, olive oil and sherry vinegar in a large blender and blend on high speed until very smooth.
• Pass the blended gazpacho through a very fine mesh conical strainer, also known as a chinois.
• The soup will need some help getting through the strainer. A 1 ounce ladle works very well to help push the soup through the mesh.
• There will be a decent amount of material left in the strainer, ¾ of a cup to a cup or so. Discard it.
• Season the strained soup with kosher salt to taste.

• Cut the avocados in half, remove the pits, and scoop the flesh out.
• To a blender add your avocados, lime juice, lime zest, buttermilk, olive oil and blend until completely smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed.
• Taste and add additional lime juice or salt as needed. The mousse should be smooth, bright, and lightly seasoned.
• Transfer to a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface, and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.

• Place the diced watermelon in a large Ziploc bag.
• In a small bowl combine the rice wine vinegar, chile, honey and salt. Whisk your ingredients together until the salt and honey are completely dissolved.
• Pour this liquid into the bag with the watermelon and seal, getting out as much air as possible.
• Leave in the fridge for at least an hour before using, or up to 24 hours.

Pour the chilled Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho into shallow bowls. Add a playful swoosh of Avocado Mousse, then scatter the pickled watermelon, halved cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, and quartered strawberries across the surface. Finish with a generous handful of fresh cilantro leaves and a final drizzle of EVOO. Serve chilled and enjoy every bright, refreshing bite with a glass of Lily Fleur Rose.