Tomatoes, corn and cucumbers fresh from back-yard gardens and farmers markets are rolling in. One of my favorite ways to use all three is to make gazpacho, a summer cold soup.

Gazpacho is filling and refreshing, especially when it's just too hot to cook. Plus, it's a great way to use up leftover vegetables; you can tailor the recipe to whatever you have on hand.

There are plenty of gazpacho variations. You can adjust the flavor by using different varieties of tomatoes, green or red bell peppers and sweet onions or green onions. You can even throw fruit into the mix.

Gazpacho should have a deep red color and a fresh veggie flavor. The soup is puréed so the vegetables are barely discernable. Sometimes recipes call for leaving out some of the chopped vegetables and stirring them in at the end so you can see them.

Some gazpacho recipes call for using stale bread that has been soaked in water and then had the excess liquid squeezed out. Puréeing the bread with the other ingredients adds body and texture.

I prefer my gazpacho with a spicy kick. You can use chopped jalapeño peppers or just add several drops of your favorite hot red pepper sauce.

Think of today's gazpacho recipe as a super soup because it's loaded with antioxidants. Tomatoes and red bell peppers are known for their lycopene, a phytochemical that acts as an antioxidant that protects against disease. Both are also good sources of vitamin C.

When choosing the tomato juice or vegetable juice for this recipe, select one that's low in sodium. You can add salt to taste. The addition of sugar helps bring out the flavor of the tomatoes.

Gazpacho is best served chilled as a main dish with some crusty bread or as an appetizer or starter. You can serve it in decorative cups or bowls, small glasses or even shot glasses. Plan on making it several hours before you serve it or the night before. It will keep for two days in the refrigerator.