Watermelon pine-nut gazpacho

Gazpacho: white gazpacho, red gazpacho, green gazpacho... There are countless variations on this cold "liquid salad". The original form of gazpacho was not particularly classy: peasant food made of bread, garlic, olive oil, salt, and (cold) water. Romans added vinegar. The Moors used crushed almonds and grapes. Red gazpacho did not exist until the Spanish conquerors brought home tomato seeds or plants from their expeditions to south and central America ("tomato" is derived from the Aztec word "tomatl"). In modern days, there are no limits - just fresh fruits and vegetables, and always served cold.

This recipe is for a gazpacho of watermelon and pine nuts. In 1990s California (entry point in the USA for such traditional drinks from Latin America), it would be called a "smoothie". It is a great non-alcoholic drink (a beautiful oxymoron, isn't it?) for a hot summer day - or night.

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Makes about 1 liter (1 quart, 4 cups).

INGREDIENTS

1½ kg (3 lbs) of watermelon, preferably chilled
The melon must be sweet and ripe, but not overripe!
This is about half of a small-medium size watermelon (skin included!) of 20x20 cm (8x8 inch);
100 grams (¼ lb) of pine nuts
Optional: several mint leaves

EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES

Food processor
Medium size bowl
Soft spatula

PREPARATION / DIRECTIONS

Chop the pine nuts in the food processor until completely reduced to very small pieces or coarse powder/meal
Slice the melon lengthwise and remove the red melon meat
Remove all the seeds from the meat - you will end up with chunks of melon
Add the melon chunks (without the juice that may have run out of the chunks) to the pine nuts in the food processor
Add the mint leaves (optional)
Run the food processor until a smooth slurry is obtained
You may have to scrape the ground pine nuts off the inside of the food processor bowl
Refrigerate

My watermelon pine nut gazpacho

(some people prefer the pine nuts to be ground to a powder, instead of tiny chunks)

SERVING & GARNISH SUGGESTIONS

Serve chilled, tall glasses.
No small paper cocktail umbrellas!

NOTES

I have not (yet) tried to change it from a "great non-alcoholic drink" to a "great alcoholic drink", but that should not be all that difficult. Lemme think...