Raw Foods "Cookin'"

When I was in NYC a few months ago, I had the pleasure of visiting an amazing restaurant called Pure Food and Wine. Although I've done a little reading and experimenting with "raw foods" this was my first RF restaurant experience. We sat on the patio and enjoyed some yummy sangria, then ordered from the prix fix menu. The food was FANTASTIC! And even filling! Mike, who is more of a hamburger and fries kind of guy was even impressed.

A couple of weeks ago, I was thrilled to find chefs' Matthew Kenney and Sarma Melngailis' book "Raw Food Real World". Their story is fascinating and the food is even better. So far, I've only tried one recipe, but it was so yummy I made it twice! Each time, I played with some of my own variations (mainly because I didn't have all the ingredients) but both times, it came out great! Here is the recipe:

Watermelon Tomato Gazpacho

3 cups watermelon - seeded and pureed in a blender
1 cup seeded watermelon - diced small
1 cup seeded tomatoe - diced small
1 cup peeled, cucumber - peeled, diced small
1/2 cup red or green bell pepper -- seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 small handful cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger
1/2 small jalapeno -- seeded and minced
1 scallion -- white and 1-inch of green, chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt -- or to taste ( I used less )
black pepper -- to taste

The book gives more detail, but you basically combine and serve! I refrigerated the leftovers and ate the next day.