Last Saturday, Local In Season sponsored an "on-the-spot" recipe contest at the Roslindale Farmers' Market.  It was a terrific day at the market with a celebration of 25 years in Roslindale, as well as featuring the bounty of tomatoes and zucchini available at this time of year in Massachusetts. People who strolled by the Local in Season tent were challenged to come up with a recipe based on our selection of ingredients on our table.  In honor of Tomato and Zucchini Day at the market we made sure to include both tomato and zucchini in the range of possibilities.  

The rules for the contest were as follows:

Contestants had to use at least one tomato variety. In addition, they had to use any two of the following items; "8-Ball" zucchini, Lemon/garlic feta cheese, Piccalilly, fresh peaches, red beets (w/greens), and purslane. Contestants were allowed to incorporate one protein, and staple pantry items were all fair game. Representatives of the Local In Season team (Michelle Collins (left), Lara Zelman (right), Jane Ward and Jon Ross-Wiley [not pictured]) judged these recipes based on overall creativity and taste potential. We received many entries, but alas, there can only be one winner.

Below is Roslindale's Linda Lea Wells' winning recipe for Peach/Tomato Gazpacho! Kitchen-tested...it's delicious!

Peach Tomato Gazpacho 

Ingredients

2 lbs. fresh peaches, chopped 

2 lbs. fresh tomatoes, chopped (any variety, but a mix of varieties is recommended)

1 cucumber

1 red pepper

1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar (you may want to add more, but start here)

2 tablespoons olive oil 

2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, thinly sliced (chiffonade) 

Salt and pepper, to taste 

Method

Chop peaches, tomatoes, pepper, and cucumber into bite-sized pieces and place in a large bowl. Mix in olive oil and vinegar.  Transfer half of the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour blended ingredients over the other half of the chopped fruits and vegetables.  Stir in tarragon and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Note: Based on your texture preferences, you may want to peel the peaches and/or deseed the tomatoes.