When the last weeks of summer bring ripe delicious tomatoes, it is time for Gazpacho. Sharpen your knives and get out the blender; here we go!
A typical gazpacho recipe will start with tomato and cucumber. The cucumber is the balancing cool to the heated ingredients of gazpacho. The following recipe will appeal to those of you who might not care for cucumber. (Fortunately, not an allergy issue, but Brooke does not care for cukes.)
Ingredients are listed from most to least. Don't forget: It is always easier to add more than it is to remove any.
Ingredients:
Vine-ripened tomatoes (Ripened on the vine on the farm, not on the vine in a truck.) Peeled seeded and chopped.
Fresh Pears, peeled, cored and chopped.
Red Bell Pepper, peeled and chopped fine.
Orange Bell Pepper, peeled and chopped fine.
Red Onion, diced.
Jalapeno, seeded and minced.
Garlic clove, minced. (The garlic at your megamart and the garlic at your farmers market are two completely different edibles.)
EVOO
Lime juice
Balsamic vinegar
Worcester shooster shiester sauce (What's this here sauce)*
Cumin, toasted or not
Salt, Kosher or Penzey's Shallot Salt
Freshly ground black pepper (optional)**
Fresh basil leaves, chiffonade (added at service)
Directions: Boil water to peel tomatoes. Cut an X on the bottom of the tomatoes and put them in boiling water for 20-30 seconds. Remove and put them in an ice bath. After cooling, peel, core and seed. Use a strainer to catch the juice when seeding. Tomato water is culinary gold.
Gazpacho should have a wonderful texture and the temperature must be just right.
After mixing all of the ingredients (except the basil) put some of the mixed ingredients in a food processor or blender and puree. Adjust until you have the texture and consistancy desired for your Gazpacho. Chill (overnight if possible) and add the freshly chiffonade basil when serving.
* Three Stooges reference. Don't feel bad if you didn't get it. You are old if you did get it.
** Penzey's is one of my favorite suppliers, but... Penzey's sells freshly ground pepper - in jars. Does freshly gound pepper come out of a jar? or a pepper grinder?
M, E, P, S, N, Se, F
Delicious and completely free of most-likely allergens.
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