Beet and Cucumber Gazpacho (Challenge Recipe 1/28)

Today I made the first recipe from the Vegetarian Planet for my challenge. It wanted it to be something quick and easy, something that is just right now that it is getting hotter outside again.  I used precooked beets, so the soup came together real quick and I did not have to turn on the stove. This soup could also be made ahead, since it has to be chilled for at least an hour.

I love gazpacho, and this beets version has a lovely purple colour and tastes great. I do not love beets (I like them, but not that much) but the taste of the beets comes through just enough, without overpowering the cucumber.
Now only the weather needs to cooperate, it's raining today.

Cookbook Challenge Rules

For the next 28 weeks there will be a new recipe from one of my cookbooks every week.
I plan on focusing on each cookbook for 4 weeks.
First on Vegetarian Planet (by Didi Emmons), Food Revolution (Jamie Oliver), World Food Café (Carolyn and Chris Caldicott), Super Natural Cooking (Heidi Swanson) and on Real Food, by Nigel Slater (especially on the chapters on garlic and on cheese).

(Just look at all my bookmarks in there, and I only made one recipe out of this book so far!)
For the remaining 8 weeks I think I'll be highlighting a few more winter and holidays recipes.

My Rules:

• 1 recipe per week
• A recipe from one of my printed cookbooks, no blogs allowed (cooking all the recipes in my recipe folder could be a challenge for another year).
• no dessert or baking recipes (I'm not sure about this one, but I think I'll focus on dinner recipes)
• modifications of the recipes are allowed, as long as I keep the original flavor combinations

Cookbook Challenge

Yesterday I looked at another cookbook in a book store. (This one). It is a beautiful book, with many mezze and appetizer recipes that just sounded great. I really wanted to buy it but could hold myself back. I also want to buy Heidi Swansons new book and there are many others I would love to buy.
The thing is though, I have enough cookbooks and don't use them often enough. With my ever growing folder of recipes to try I don't try new recipes from my cookbooks as often as I should.

So I want to challenge myself. For the rest of the year, I want to try at least one new recipe from one of my cookbooks every week. I don't know yet what I'm going to do when I'm on holidays, whether I'll try new recipes even when on holidays (although this will be difficult while camping) or whether I'll just make up for these weeks later.

If I counted right, this means 28 weeks and 28 recipes.
I think I will also introduce the cookbooks from which I will be cooking. More to come when I'm back at home.