Gazpacho

Gazpacho

There’s something to be said for fresh vegetables. Like the one’s that you get at the farmer’s market that look like they’ve just been pulled out of the ground because they still have dirt on them and all that green leafy matter attached. I love all the bright colors of vegetables, their earthiness, the smell and texture. Living in Southern California, and having a weekly farmer’s market five minutes away from my house, I’m never deprived of the best vegetables each season has to offer. On this week’s trip to the market I was presented with a bounty of juicy tomatoes, ripe California avocados and sweet bell peppers in glorious shades of red, yellow and orange.

When I returned home, I knew immediately what I was going to do with my bulging bag of veggies. Make gazpacho of course! For those of you not familiar with gazpacho, it is a cold, tomato-based soup which has it’s origins in Spain and is best served during the summer months (when tomatoes are their freshest) because it’s so darn refreshing. Gazpacho is a bowl of “earthy goodness”. It’s simple, straight forward, with nothing refined or processed…just good stuff from the ground.

Yes, there is something to be said for fresh vegetables. I don’t know what it is but I just feel smarter when I eat veggies. I notice a certain spring in my step upon consuming large quantities of vitamins and minerals. If you give this recipe a try, write back and let me know if you think your IQ just went up a couple of points. I bet it will.

Gazpacho

Gazpacho

Adapted From Pascal Lorange of Le Pain Quotidien

• 1 medium red bell pepper (70g)
• 2 ounces sourdough baguette, cut into small pieces (50g)
• 1 1/4 cups cold water (300ml)
• *3 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
• 1 cup cucumber, peeled and diced (100g)
• 3 radishes, sliced
• 1/2 red onion, cut into slices
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
• 1 tablespoon of fresh parsley, minced (or whatever fresh herb you have in the fridge)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon cumin

To Garnish

• avocado slices
• radish, thinly sliced into matchsticks
• cucumber, thinly sliced into matchsticks
• scallion, thinly sliced
• extra virgin olive oil to drizzle

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Place your bell pepper in the center of a metal baking sheet and roast for about 30 minutes, turning the pepper every 10 minutes so that all sides will turn black and blistered. Remove from the oven and let cool. When you’re able to handle it, remove the skin from the pepper and take the seeds out. Cut the pepper into strips and set aside 1/3 (3 ounces/70g).
2. Take the small baguette slices and place them in a large bowl filled with the cold water so that it may soak for an hour..
3. Take the roasted pepper strips and the remaining ingredients, and add them to the large bowl containing the soaked bread.   I then took the entire mixture and transferred it to my blender and mixed it on the puree setting until I had a smooth consistency. Then place the gazpacho into a covered container to sit in the refrigerator for about 4 hours to chill. As the mixture sits in the fridge, the flavors will develop.
4. When you’re ready to serve the gazpacho, stir it well and pour into bowls. I like to garnish each bowl with scallion, cucumber, chunks of avocado, radish and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Then give a sprinkle of fresh ground pepper.

Serves 4

Gazpacho

Mama’s Tips

A quick and easy way to peel your tomatoes. Using a sharp knife, slice and “X” on the bottom of your tomato. Submerge the tomato in a pot of boiling water for about 20-30 seconds. Remove and let cool for a few minutes. The skin will gently peel away from the area where you made the “X”.

If you can refrain from eating your gazpacho immediately upon making it, let it sit over-night in the fridge as it will get nicely chilled, and the flavors of all your fresh vegetables will meld together beautifully.

The roasted peppers will end up looking something like these.

Gazpacho

Recipe: Easy

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