Ron's Gazpacho

Gazpacho brings tomatoes front and center in a great soup for hot weather in Austin.

Ingredients:

• 3 medium tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped

• 1 small cucumber, seeded and chopped

• 1 medium chopped green pepper

• 2 sliced green onions

• 1 minced garlic clove

• 2 ½ c vegetable juice

• 2 T vinegar

• 1 t good quality olive oil

• ¼ t sea salt

• ¼ t dried basil or 1 t minced fresh basil

• several dashes Tabasco sauce

• handful of fresh chopped cilantro

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Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients, cover & chill for several hours until flavors mix.

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Notes:

• Vegetarian friendly

• Vegan friendly

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Contributed by Patsy Callaway (member)

Hot and Spicy Nuts

You can make these hot and spicy nuts out of mixed nuts or just your favorites.

Ingredients:

• 2 T unsalted butter

• 1 T Worchestershire sauce (Vgn: use a vegan substitute, such as soy sauce)

• ¼ t ground cumin

• ½ t celery salt

• 1/8 t cayenne pepper

• ½ t garlic powder

• ½ t seasoned salt

• 1 ½ c mixed unsalted roasted nuts

• 1 T coarse or kosher salt

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Instructions:

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees.

2. Melt butter in a medium-size saucepan over low heat.

3. Add next six ingredients and simmer over low heat for several minutes to combine the flavors.

4. Add the nuts and stir until evenly coated.

5. Spread on a baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally.

6. Toss the nuts with a coarse salt and let cool.

7. Store in an airtight containers.

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Notes:

• Makes 1 ½ cups

• Vegetarian friendly

• Adaptable to vegan friendly

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Contributed by Joan Skerry (member)

Chocolate Peanut Clusters

These chocolate peanut clusters are a favorite of our family. The original recipe was given to us by my husband's mother, Betty Olson.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. chocolate chips

• 1 lb. white melting chocolate

• 16 oz. peanuts (we use low salt, but you can use full salt or not salt, depending upon your taste) (you can also substitute cashews for a different take on the recipe)

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Instructions:

1. Combine chocolate chips and melting chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Melt in the microwave (normally 2+ minutes on high) until you can stir and mix the ingredients completely.

2. Pour the peanuts into the melted mixture and stir well until all the nuts are coated.

3. Put a piece of wax paper on your counter top. Or, if you plan to quick-harden them in your refrigerator, put wax paper on a jelly roll pan or other pan that will fit in your refrigerator.

4. Scoop out small clusters of the chocolate covered peanuts, either in small spoonfuls, or you can use a small melon-baller for standardizing the size.

5. Allow clusters to harden on the counter, or to speed the process, put them in the refrigerator.

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Notes:

• You may wish to have a few extra peanuts on hand in case at the end you have some chocolate left in the bowl - you can make a few extra clusters for the cook!

• I keep the clusters in a container in the refrigerator as we like that 'hardness' to eat them.

• The ingredients can be kept on hand for a quick dessert or treat as you can harden them very quickly.

• You can also easily make a smaller quantity. I just use a kitchen scale as it's a 1:1:1 recipe.

• Vegetarian friendly

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Contributed by Hilary Olson (member)