Place a cup of tomato juice in a bowl with a 2 inch piece of a baguette and soak for a while.
15 ripe tomatoes (I use Romas)
1 and 1/2 English cukes
3 clove garlic
sea salt to taste
2 (or a tad more -- to taste) -- SMOKED paprika
Chop the above
then add to a blender all of the ingredients -- do so in batches.
Place in a large bowl where you can mix with a spoon. But really blend
until smooth -- you may want to blend twice.
Put some of the liquid back in the blender and then add 1/4 (or a
tad more based on taste) a Sherry vinegar or a white wine vinegar. Then
add while the blender is running a cup of olive oil in a slow stream.
Place all of the liquid in the bowl and stir in the liquid that has
been mixed with the oil and vinegar. be sure it is all integrated.
Chill.
Garnish:
Chop fine 1/2 English cuke
1/2 red pepper
1/2 small red onion
mix with salt and pepper, and a tablespoon of olive oil and a
teaspoon of vinegar (to taste -- I almost always add a splash more).
Chill. Add a spoonful to each bowl.
I make my croutons as well -- in a good skillet add olive oil and
garlic salt, add in pieces of baguette -- I would make the pieces fairly
big -- say a half inch slice off the baguette -- brown in the skillet
and flip to brown on both sides. Then when
cool, cut into small squares.
