Recipe: Gazpacho

Gazpacho -  Courtesy of Alton Brown

This was one of my mother's favorite things to eat during the summer when the ingredients were fresh from the garden.


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Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

Tomato juice

1 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped

1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

1/2 cup chopped red onion

1 small jalapeno, seeded and minced

1 medium garlic clove, minced

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 lime, juiced

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon toasted, ground cumin

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, chiffonade

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Directions

   Fill a 6-quart pot halfway full of water, set over high heat and bring to a boil.

   Make an X with a paring knife on the bottom of the tomatoes. Drop the tomatoes into the boiling water for 15 seconds, remove and transfer to an ice bath and allow to cool until able to handle, approximately 1 minute. Remove and pat dry. Peel, core and seed the tomatoes. When seeding the tomatoes, place the seeds and pulp into a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl in order to catch the juice. Press as much of the juice through as possible and then add enough bottled tomato juice to bring the total to 1 cup.

   Place the tomatoes and juice into a large mixing bowl. Add the cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, jalapeno, garlic clove, olive oil, lime juice, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire, cumin, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Transfer 1 1/2 cups of the mixture to a blender and puree for 15 to 20 seconds on high speed. Return the pureed mixture to the bowl and stir to combine. Cover and chill for 2 hours and up to overnight. Serve with chiffonade of basil.

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I’m enjoying a wonderful bowl of gazpacho as I read this wonderful thread.

It’s not tomato season here yet either, but last August I bought several boxes of tomatoes.  I laid them out on cookie sheets and when they were frozen I packed them into freezer containers.

They taste like real tomatoes, but lack the texture.  For gazpacho, I allow them to thaw, catching all the juice.  The peel just comes right off.  I don’t mind the seeds, and there aren’t many in the paste tomatoes.  I pulse them lightly in the cuisinart with olive oil, vinegar, salt, garlic and sautéed onion.

I put a slice of sourdough bread cut into cubes into the mix and again barely pulse it.

Chopped cucumber, red bell pepper and half an avocado go in my bowl and then the tomato mixture gets spooned over it.

I love the idea of the steamed or sautéed shrimp in the bowl.

For some reason writing this recipe out made me think of my grandmother.  She used to make a big deal out of aspic.  I think the gazpacho with shrimp would be an awesome aspic, as would just about any cold soup we like.

To make an aspic, I think you soften unflavored gelatin in cool water, then  it will dissolve in boiling water based liquid.  The tomato juice would probably work.  Once the gelatin is dissolved, then stir it into everything else, pour into molds and chill.  My grandmother always made individual molds, but it seems like it would be fine in a single big mold, like a jello “salad”.

As for proportions, 🤷🏻‍♀️.  I think it would say on the packet of knox unflavored gelatin or I bet you could search tomato aspic and find plenty of versions!

Salad as a soup - my absolute summer favourite too.  Usually a base of tomatoes, juiced, with the extra flavourings and the other veggies in small cubes for texture,  olive oil and vinegar not optional, sometimes a dash of worcestershire sauce.  Garden tomatoes though, not those shockers from the store!