The Boston Globe

Wednesday, June 29, 2005

Food | Page F2

Heat Wave Cookery:

WATERMELON-TOMATO GAZPACHO

Matthew Kenney and Sarma Melngailiz (she is a former Newton resident) own Pure Food and Wine, a New York restaurant that serves mostly raw food. Now the couple's "Raw Food / real world: 100 Recipes to Get the Glow" (ReganBooks) has just come out -- and what better time than in the middle of a hot summer?

Both chefs come from a classic French kitchen background, so their goal is to make food taste good. In this cooling soup, they recommend using watermelon with seeds, which they consider superior to the seedless variety.

3 cups watermelon chunks,

seeded and pureed in a blender

1 cup watermellon,

seeded and coarsely chopped

2 medium tomatoes,

peeled, seeded and chopped

1/2 medium English cucumber,

peeled, seeded and chopped

1/2 cup red or green bell pepper,

seeded and chopped

2 Tablespoons lime juice

1 small handful cilantro leaves

1 teaspoon fresh ginger, chopped

1/2 small jalapeno pepper

seeded and chopped

1 medium scallion,

(white and 1-inch of green), chopped

1 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)

black pepper (to taste)

In a large glass bowl, combine the watermelon puree, watermelon chunks, tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, lime juice, cilantro, ginger, jalapeno pepper, scallon, and salt.

Stir well. Add pepper and more salt, if you like.

Ladle into 4 chilled bowls and serve.