From the menu of ... Brooklyn Cafe

A: Jeff Trump of Brooklyn Cafe agrees with his customers who really love gazpacho. “Growing up out West, my father made gazpacho for special occasions in the summer. I’ve been in love with it ever since. However, I find many recipes are either too sweet or pureed. Antonio’s recipe has perfect balance, with nice chunks of crisp vegetables. I eat it every day,” he wrote.

That is, he eats it every day it’s in season, which is only during the warm summer months when their customers are looking for something cool and refreshing. Trump says you can make the soup with fresh tomatoes, but they find the gazpacho then becomes acidic quickly. They prefer canned tomatoes and Sacramento tomato juice in this recipe.

The soup is the creation of Antonio Calles, a native of Veracruz, Mexico. “He is our hardest-working employee and strives to make our restaurant better every day. We love him!” Trump added.

Is there a recipe from a metro Atlanta restaurant you'd like to make at home? Tell us and we'll try to get it. We'll also test it and adapt it for the home kitchen. Because of volume, we can't answer all inquiries. Send your request, your address and phone number to fromthemenu@gmail.com and put "From the menu of” and the name of restaurant in the subject line.

Brooklyn Cafe’s Antonio’s Gazpacho

Hands on: 20 minutes

Total time: 20 minutes plus chilling time

Serves: 4

1 1/2 cups tomato juice

1/2 cup canned diced tomatoes with juice

1 cucumber, seeded and diced

1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 red pepper, seeded and diced

1/4 cup diced red onion

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon Tabasco

1 teaspoon salt

Sour cream and avocado slices for garnish

In a large refrigerator container, combine tomato juice, diced tomato, cucumber, green pepper, red pepper, onion, cilantro, sugar, vinegar, lemon juice, Tabasco and salt. Taste for seasoning. Refrigerate until chilled. Can be made in advance up to 4 days.

Place bowls and spoons in freezer.

When ready to serve, pour 1 cup gazpacho into prepared bowl. Garnish with sour cream and avocado and serve immediately with chilled spoon.

Per serving: 85 calories (percent of calories from fat, 4), 3 grams protein, 20 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, trace fat (no saturated fat), no cholesterol, 946 milligrams sodium.