Soup with a View

This photo is of our beloved island in Friendship, Maine situated smack dab in Muscongus Bay! The soup I came up with for lunch and served on our deck with a side of this incredible view isn't exactly a gazpacho; I'm not sure what you'd call it except "completely delicious"! Although the elements are somewhat the same as the gazpacho I usually make, there's so much going on here as well, quite on its own and none of it involves a blender. For four servings: finely chop two cloves of garlic, an onion and then saute in olive oil; put this mixture in a pot with a can of heated tomato soup that has been stirred with a can of water along with 1/2 of a small chopped pepper, 1 small chopped (seeded) cucumber, 1 chopped (seeded) tomato. Bring to a slow simmer and at the end, throw in a fistful of basil that has been rolled up and cut along the bias to make an elegant chiffonade. Cover and chill for a few hours and when you are ready to sit down and eat, please enjoy the view!