Hola Muchachos!

Welcome to my kitchen. Sit down and have a drink (it doesn't have to be alcoholic. If it is please stay sober for the lesson) Feel free to browse through my collection of recipes (which is still growing) and pick one or more to try out. I have recipes for beginners and those of you who are more experienced in the kitchen. I will try to keep things simple because I know some of you are new to the kitchen. Cooking is an ongoing learning experience. There is always something to learn about food and the techniques we use to cook it. So if you have any favorite recipes,please post them. I'd love to try them out and I'm sure others would too.

I hope you enjoy your visit here as well as the food
~Vaquera

Summer Corn Salad

I made this corn salad for dinner the other day and it was excellent!
I used the cucumbers and tomatoes grown in my garden.

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Fresh Corn Salad
Prep: 25 minutes Chill: 2 hours Grill: 10 minutes to 15 minutes

ingredients

8
ears corn, shucked
6
fresh tomatoes, chopped
2
cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and chopped
2
green onions, chopped
1
green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1
jalapeño, seeded and chopped*
1/4
cup chopped cilantro
4
Tbsp. white balsamic vinegar (I used regular brown balsamic vinegar)
3
Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

directions

1. Preheat grill to medium-high. Brush corn with a little olive oil. Grill corn until lightly browned, turning often to cook evenly; cool. When cool enough to handle, cut corn from cobs.

If your county in under a burn ban please do not operate an out door grill. Instead cut the kernels off the cob and saute them in a frying pan with olive oil.

2. Toss corn with tomatoes, cucumbers, green onions, pepper, jalapeño, cilantro, vinegar, and the 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Toss and marinate at least 2 hours in the refrigerator before serving. Bring to room temperature to serve. Makes 8 servings.

*Hot chile peppers, such as jalapeños, contain oils that can burn skin and eyes. Avoid direct contact as much as possible. Wear plastic gloves. If using bare hands, wash hands well with soap and water.

Spanish style cold tomato soup (Gazpacho)

This is very easy to make and it tastes great,especially on a hot summer day.

To add more color to this recipe try using ripe yellow and green tomatoes instead of red which can be found at
your local farmers’ markets.

Serves 6-8

For the soup:
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
3 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, diced
2 garlic cloves, peeled
¼ cup sherry vinegar
½ cup sherry
¾ cup Extra-virgin olive oil

For the garnish:
2 1 inch-thick slices french bread (white bread may also be used if french bread is not available)
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ cucumber, diced
½ green bell pepper, seeded and diced
½ red bell pepper, seeded and diced
Sea salt to taste

To make the soup, combine the cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, garlic, vinegar, sherry, olive oil and 2 cups of water in a food processor or blender. Puree the ingredients until everything is well blended into a thick pink liquid. Pour the gazpacho through a medium-hole strainer into a pitcher. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

For the garnish: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes and toss in a mixing bowl with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Spread the bread on a baking sheet and bake on the middle rack until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Set the croutons aside to cool.

To serve, pour the chilled soup into cups or bowls. Top with croutons, cucumbers and peppers. Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Enjoy!