I know, I know, yesterday was the first day of autumn.
But I’ve been making a lot of delicious chilled gazpacho this long hot summer and I wanted to share. And anyway, it’s astonishingly still 83F/28C here in Seattle, so it’s still appropriate for Pacific Northwesterners. AND it’s a great use of all the heirloom tomatoes still at the farmers’ market.
The recipe below is one I cobbled up myself from various books and online sources. I’ve been fiddling with it for years now and can’t remember what my sources were, sorry. I think it’s fairly authentically Spanish though.
Gazpacho
This chilled soup, which is nothing more than a whizzed up salad, is gorgeous when (if) the weather is warm and the tomatoes are juicy. I quite often make a big pot just for us to eat at home, but it also makes a great starter for a summer dinner party, in which case you may want to add the optional garnishes. Don’t bother making this if you can’t get hold of really delicious, juicy ripe tomatoes – in the US I use heirlooms and in the UK cherries.
You will need to whizz every thing together with a handheld blender. If you don’t have one you’re going to have to do messy things with a food processor or goblet blender. If you don’t have one of those, I really wouldn’t bother making this.
Ingredients
At least a kilo/a couple of pounds of tomatoes (I usually just eyeball this and use ‘a lot’)
½ large cucumber, peeled
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 small onion, red for preference
½ green pepper (optional, but Anaheims are nice)
2 slices white bread or 8 tablespoons fresh breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar (or substitute red or white wine vinegar)
1 big handful parsley sprig
1 large sprig mint
few drops Tabasco (optional)
1 teaspoon tomato ketchup (optional see below)
salt and pepper
FOR OPTIONAL GARNISH:
1 red pepper, chopped into tiny dice
1 green pepper, chopped into tiny dice
1 small red onion, chopped into tiny dice
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped into tiny dice
Tiny croutons
Method
Unfortunately the tomatoes need to be peeled, which can be a pain if you are using cherry tomatoes. However that is the only hard work you’re going to have to do.
Pour boiling water over your tomatoes, wait for the skins to split and then slip them off. If the skins don’t split give them a helping hand with the point of a sharp knife. Place the peeled tomatoes into your serving bowl. Roughly chop the cucumber, onion (and pepper if using) and add to the tomatoes with the garlic, mint and parsley. Tear up the slices of bread or add the breadcrumbs. I always have a bag of fresh breadcrumbs in the freezer and add them frozen to the soup.
Whizz every thing together with your handheld blender. Add the oil, vinegar, Tabasco and salt and pepper to taste and a teaspoon of tomato ketchup if you think that your tomatoes need it (apparently they do this in Spain, so that’s OK). Stir together and chill in the fridge for at least an hour. Add a few ice cubes if you want to chill it faster.
(Teatowel by Tikoli available from mirrormirror)
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