Gazpacho

Soak bread in 1/2 cup water for about a minute, squeeze it dry and set it aside. You won’t need the water anymore, you can just throw it away.

Using a mortar and pestle, mash the garlic and the salt to a paste, until you get smooth, uniform consistency.

In a food processor, blend the garlic paste, the soaked bread, vinegar, sugar, cumin and about 1/2 of the tomatoes, until everything is very finely chopped. Add the rest of the tomatoes. When everything is finely chopped and uniform, slowly add the olive oil in a steady drizzle. Blend the soup as smooth as possible, about 2 minutes.

(Traditionally, you would force the soup through a sieve or a chinois, into a bowl, pressing on solids and then discarding the solids afterward. However, I find that I like my gazpacho more rustic and chunky and so I say, forget the chinois!)

Transfer to a glass container and chill, covered, until cold, about 3 hours. Season with salt and vinegar before serving. If you happen to make it on a weeknight and don’t have the 3 hours chilling time, feel free to eat immediately!