Still Summer - Zingy Chilli and Chocolate Gazpacho

I can't remember having a real summer last year, although the two weeks I was out hiking had been fine apart from the first day, where I got soaked completely. Fine, we had some rain, storm and sort of things this year, too, but mainly it was a real summer thing ... just a moment ... still is a real summer thing.
However, some people manage to complain all the time. "It's too hot", "I can't stand the heat" ... fine ... if you must. Should you belong into this category of people, you maybe also think, I would be too hot to stand in the kitchen at the stove and cook.
I'd say, it's no problem to have some more heat in the kitchen, but ... hey ... I can so also without and ... have some gazpacho ...

Yet, if you are the "I can't stand the heat"-type you might not even want some of this Zingy Chilli and Chocolate Gazpacho. After all, there are chillies in it.

As far as I know, chilli and chocolate work well together. Why not here as well!?
Right, there are also a few other lovely ingredients in it. Let us have a closer look at the Zingy Chilli and Chocolate Gazpacho.

Ingredients (increase as need felt):
2 small courgettes
4 cocktail tomatoes
1/3 of a large cucumber
1 large red pepper
1 habanero chilli
1 green chilli
Juice of one lime
2 cloves of garlic
Some mint leaves
100 g old baguette
6-8 tbs olive oil
6-8 tbs water
2-4 tbs sherry vinegar
Salt and pepper
10-50 g dark chocolate

Method:
We can do this now the easy or the hard way. Hm ... the easy way would be a bit boring, especially when I know that I can torture you a bit more.
The courgettes had been a donation. I got some other things from that same source, too, but I had to work for it a bit as well. Maybe that would be another story. Back to the courgettes. Roughly chop them up and toss the pieces into a blender.
Quarter the tomatoes and toss them into the blender as well.
Over to the cucumber. I usually share the cucumber with the rabbit. Therefore a small piece goes to the rabbit and then I chop up the remaining part of the cucumber and ... add them to the blender as you may have guessed.
Now there is that red pepper, I have. It's not a bell pepper, but I wouldn't object using one. You know, we want to get rid of the seeds and that stem and then cut the thing into pieces to throw them into the blender.
I would consider myself lucky, that I can harvest chillies all year round. I still had this shiny yellow habanero and tons of green chillies. If you want to avoid at least a bit of heat ... in the gazpacho ... carefully remove the seeds from the chillies. Otherwise ... well, you know.
I have heard somewhere, that if you roll a lime or lemon or ... whatever ... a bit over solid surface you can manage to get the juice better out of the fruit. Have a go and splash the juice into the blender.
Peel and slightly chop the garlic before adding to the blender.
Good I still have my garden. I would consider it just a herb garden from now on. Mint keeps growing without asking questions. Why not add a bunch of mint leaves to the blender.
Oh, even the old baguette was a contribution after I had been invited to a barbecue. There was simply too much bread left afterwards. Maybe that was what triggered this gazpacho idea. Whatever, I cut the bread into smaller pieces to add them to the blender.
Now a bit of olive oil, water, salt and pepper and the chocolate of course. Originally I didn't put the chocolate in the first go. After tasting, though, and the gazpacho being quite hot, I decided to ease thing a bit with chocolate. Decide for yourself how much chocolate you need. You can also adjust after blending.

So now, then, the question is: Will it blend? Fine, it was a bit of a fight, but in the end there was no more resistance. It all blended very well. 
After that it would be lovely to chill the gazpacho. Put it in the fridge and eat it later with some nice bread, maybe.

Fine, the chilli and the chocolate worked well together as I have to say. And remember, there is much more goodness in that gazpacho. You got all the different flavours and nutrients of those great vegetables. So, tell me a few reasons for not having such a meal (allergy and dietary reasons are excluded of course)?
Look, there are even some herbs in it. It's always lovely to cook with herbs, as Karen from Lavender & Lovage can only confirm. That's why she is having the Cooking with Herbs challenge every month. I see no reason, why not to take part in it.

Above that, this gazpacho doesn't include any weird ingredients like artificial flavours or colours or taste enhancing substances. No, it's all natural and from scratch. I know someone, who appreciates that very much, too. It's Javelin Warrior from Javelin Warrior's Cookin w/ Luv. Every week he is doing Made with Love Mondays. Did I mention, I added a lot of love to this gazpacho. At least the gazpacho was appreciating that love. 
Good, it is fresh and from scratch and here it goes ...

You may enjoy it as you wish and if you do, let me know the truth ...