It’s a fair bet my Mother first tasted this traditional summer soup from Andalusia in 1953–when my parents took brother Peter and me to the Costa Brava for a two week holiday. Dad worked for British Railways and got a certain amount of concessionary travel in Europe.
There were five hotels at that time in Lloret del Mar (five hundred plus now!).
We stayed in one of them with a pretty courtyard–twenty yards from the beach.
I don’t remember the soup but the egg fried in olive oil I can taste to this day!
Franco’s military police, patrolling the beach in funny hats and holding not-so-funny machine guns, also made an impression. No such thing at on the sands at Woolacombe!
About a kilo collected this morning--a little more than the recipe.
Molly Ellis’ Recipe (slightly adapted!)
Chop the tomatoes roughly–and put them in the food processor.
Chop up half a large, peeled cucumber and half a large, red pepper–seeded–(she calls them pimentoes) and add them to the processor.
I add a couple of spring onions (scallions)–chopped. (Ma adds a yellow onion–which I’ll try next time).
Mash up 3 cloves of garlic, as she does, with a little salt–and add them to the processor.
Pulse the contents–not too smooth a finish.
Empty this already tasty mix into a bowl and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
Stir in 3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar and two tablespoons of olive oil.
A few drops of Tabasco–as she suggests–a matter of taste.
(At lunch today I added an ice cube to each bowl instead of water.)
Chill for a couple of hours.
We found a ladle each is enough–with a whirl of olive oil to finish?
Robin Ellis 
Sounds lovely
I remember eating something similar (although it was dressed with Basil which was a nice touch) as a starter in a ‘posh’ restaurant in East London (or Docklands as anyone who’d bought property there called the area!) and wondering to myself how they could charge £8.95 for what is, basically, raw tomato, cucumber and garlic – not even cooked!
It didn’t half taste nice though!
Sometimes (usually?) the simplest things are best.
All the best
Keith
You can buy a new recipe book for two quid less!
Good to hear from you.
Robin
Thanks so much to Mum Ellis for recipe. I love Gaspacho, but never done…
Robin what lovely fresh looking toms – do you grow all your own salad and vegetables? Your mum must have been an adventurous cook to try this.
You & your brothers were very lucky boys, to have been able to go to
what was then in the early 50’s exciting places of sun sea and sand, before the cement mixers got there. I got there later in the 60’s but by then the concrete was setting. – Elaine
Hi Robin.
It is very hot here in the Washington, D.C. area, (102 degrees f) yesterday, and I am trying the gazpacho today on 3 guests! Thanks for bringing your mother’s cooking to life!
Genie Pohl
Hi Genie–we have two Washingtonians staying who are happy to be missing the cauldron!
Hello Robin,
I tried (and succeded) with your wonderful gazpacho recipe last night. It’s one of my husband’s favourites and he always orders it when he’s in Spain. He’s the proper cook in our family, so I was delighted when the whole batch went in one sitting. It was really straightforward and quick to make and tasted delicious. Thanks!
Penny
I’m so glad-Ma would have been pleased!
Thanks Penny.