Recipe du Jour

Gazpacho


If you live anywhere near dirt, you're likely enjoying the tail end of the summer's bounty.  Before the tomatoes are all gone, use them for something besides a BLT.   

My Grandma use to make gazpacho.  She mixed a cold can of Campbell's Tomato Soup with a packet of Lawry's Taco Seasoning.  My entire career has been in retribution of that dish.

Gazpacho comes from Andalusia, in southern Spain.  It was originally made without tomatoes, which weren't introduced until the discovery of the new world.  There are several regional varieties, including a green version made with lettuce, parsley, cucumbers and mint, and ajo blanco, a white gazpacho made with olive oil, bread, garlic and nuts.  But in the heat of the summer, its tomato gazpacho I crave. Gazpacho was traditionally pureed by hand in a mortar, but feel free to whip out the blender or food mill to make quick work of it.

INGREDIENTS 

2 dinner rolls, soaked in 1 cup of water for 10 minutes

6 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped (concassé)

1 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped

1 cup red bell pepper, chopped

3 scallions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 TB. red wine vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

1 TB. salt

1 TB. ground cumin

1-2 TB. hot pepper sauce

2-4 cups tomato juice

METHOD

1.  In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, mix well and refrigerate for 1 hour, or overnight to mingle flavors.

 2.   Working in batches, puree in a blender to desired consistency.  Serve chilled, with a dollop of sour cream.  Serves 6.

  
One more reason to visit Spain

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Techniques

Techniques

Techniques

Concassé


Concassé is the term used to describe a tomato that has been peeled and seeded.  This step is important in some recipes, because the skin and seeds can present an unplesant texture, and the juice can make recipes too watery.  It is not always necessary, but when it is, this easy method makes quick work of it.

To peel and seed tomatoes, cut an X in the end, drop it in boiling water for 30 seconds, then directly into ice water.  The temperature shock loosens the skin, and it peels right off.  To remove the seeds and juice, cut the peeled tomato in half, not from end to end, but through the middle.  Squeeze out the seeds and juice as if it were an orange you were juicing.  Then dice it up.  Voila!  Tomato Concassé!

 

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