Vegetarian Today recipe: White Gazpacho With Almonds and Grapes
I use marcona almonds produced in a specific region of Spain because they are rich and aromatic.

Ingredients

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

Method

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

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

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

Nutrition

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.

Vegetarian Today: Steve Petusevsky doesn't eat raw tomatoes
I eat just about everything except raw tomatoes. When I tell people this, they can't believe it. But the thought of eating raw tomatoes makes me gag. It's always been this way.

From a very young age, I made my mother examine my portion of salads for tomato seeds. Finally, she just left tomatoes out of the family salads. Keep in mind, back then cherry and grape tomatoes weren't common.

It's a very different tomato selection available in produce sections today.

The availability of unusual tomatoes is staggering. From vine-ripened beef steaks to ripe egg-shaped Romas and tiny teardrops. They all look beautiful and smell like an infusion of summer. Even Ugly Tomatoes, so called because of their odd shape, are beautiful. When you throw in multicolored heirloom tomatoes in shades of every color imaginable, the tomato section is a work of natural art.

Just don't make me eat it.

There are over 10,000 varieties of tomatoes ranging in size from tiny cherry 1000's to the giant Ponderosa species, which can weigh 3 pounds each. Botanically speaking, tomatoes are actually a fruit, although in 1863 the Supreme Court ruled that they should be considered a vegetable.

Tomatoes are still considered one of the world's most popular fruits, I mean vegetables, with over 60 million tons produced each year. That's a lot of Greek salads and bruschettas.

So, although I appreciate tomatoes cooked and as a raw ingredient, anything more than a sniff of fresh tomato essence is out of the question for me. That doesn't mean I don't enjoy preparing them for others. Especially during summer months, when the peak season is here.