gazpacho gumshoe

[guavagirl]

At our wedding (innumerable years ago), our caterer served gazpacho, which she learned to make from a mentor in Spain. MMM! Even my less worldly relatives gushed, in spite of this overheard exchange:

"Is your soup cold?"

"Yes, by darned it is!"

[slurping]

"Sure is good, though."

"MMM HMMM"

[slurping ensues]


The restaurant and caterer have gone to unknown places, but to recapture the moment, I'm looking for a gazpacho recipe that is:

(a) fairly authentic to Spain;

(b) does not taste/feel like salsa;

(c) does not entail the use of bizarre or rarely used utensils (food processor is ok); ;)

and, although this goes without saying,

(d) is proven to be muy delicioso!

I realize that there are zillions of gazpacho recipes out there and even threads about cold soup, but I'm looking for stuff sans pineapple, mango, and other tangential frivolities.

Ah, analysis, paralysis.

Gracias, cocineros(as)!

[Ralph]

The Aug. issue has a recipe for Gazpacho Andaluz in the "Cooking Class" section which describes Spanish cuisine. For non-subscribers (& those who have yet to receive it), here's the recipe:

GAZPACHO ANDALUZ
1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, each cut into quarters
1 cup coarsely chopped, peeled cucumber
1/2 cup coarsely chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion
1/2 cup coarsely chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup coarsely chopped green bell pepper
3 tbsp sherry vinegar
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp ground cumin
5 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth. Press tomato mixture through a sieve over a bowl, pressing solids through with the back of a spoon; discard any remaining solids. Cover & chill. Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup).

CALORIES 80 (51% from fat); FAT 5g (sat 0.7g, mono 3.4g, poly 0.6g); PROTEIN 1.5g; CARB 9g; FIBER 2 g; CHOL 0mg; IRON 0.8mg; SODIUM 207mg; CALC 18mg

Plus, I receive a magazine called Diversion which oddly enough also had an article on gazpacho. Here are the two recipes they gave, one red & one white.

GAZPACHO DE SEVILLA
2 large cloves garlic, sliced
2 cups green bell peppers (about 1 large pepper), seeded & cut into 1" pieces
1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, cut into large pieces
3"-long piece of baguette (crust removed), torn into small pieces & dried overnight or until hard
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp red-wine vinegar or more to taste
2 tsp kosher salt
About 1 cup cold water
Freshly ground pepper
1 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded, & diced, for garnish
1 cup onion, diced, for garnish

1. Put the garlic, green peppers, tomatoes, bread, olive oil, vinegar, & salt in a food processor. Pulse until the ingredients begin to puree (the bread might take a while to break down). Continue processing until the mixture is as fine a puree as possible, 3-5 minutes.
2. Pass the soup through a strainer set over a large bowl, pressing on the solids with a wooden spoon. Discard the solids & stir about 1 cup cold water into the bowl (the soup should have the consistency of a thin milk shake). Add more salt or vinegar to taste.
3. Cover & refrigerate until well chilled (or serve immediately with a few ice cubes in each bowl).
4. Ladle the gazpacho into chilled bowls or cups & grind fresh pepper over each. Pass around bowls with the diced cucumber & onion so that everyone can garnish his own.

WHITE GAZPACHO WITH ALMOND AND ORANGE
3/4 cup whole almonds, divided
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
2/3 cup water to moisten crumbs
1 large clove garlic, coarsely chopped
2 tbsp white-wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup dry fino or manzanilla sherry
1 - 1 1/2 cups cold water for thinning
Grated zest from 1 large orange (about 1 tbsp)
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground white pepper to taste
12 seedless red grapes, cut in half
1 1/2 tbsp fresh basil or mint, finely shredded

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Set a small pot of water to boil. Add 1/2 cup of the almonds. Lower the heat to a simmer & cook 1-2 minutes until the almond skins wrinkle enough to slip off when squeezed.
2. Drain the almonds. Slip off & discard their skins. Blot the nuts dry with a paper towel & set on a cookie sheet. Place the remaining 1/4 cup almonds on the sheet without mixing the two together & toast in the oven until golden. (The almonds with skins will be ready in 8-10 minutes, the blanched ones in 10-15 minutes.) Remove when done & cool.
3. While the almonds cool, put the bread crumbs in a medium bowl & stir in 2/3 cup water. Combine well & set aside.
4. When cool, coarsely chop the two types of almonds, keeping each in a separate pile.
5. Put the moistened crumbs, blanched almonds, garlic, & vinegar in a blender & puree until smooth, 1-2 minutes. With the machine still running, gradually add the olive oil & then the sherry.
6. Transfer the gazpacho to a large bowl & add enough water to make a slightly thick soup (about 1 - 1 1/2 cups). Stir in the orange zest & season with salt to taste. Cover & refrigerate until well chilled, at least 2 hours.
7. Ladle the gazpacho into chilled shallow soup bowls. Grind fresh pepper over each, & garnish with a teaspoon of the chopped almonds with skins & the shredded basil or mint.

(sorry, but they don't list the nutritional info for the last two recipes:( )

[guavagirl]

Ralph,

Haven't received the August issue yet, so big thanks to you for patiently answering my ill-timed :eek: question. These look like what I am seeking.

Hasta luego,
guavagirl

[Ralph]

Glad you like! Unfortunately, I haven't tried any of them yet. Maybe I'll do the CL recipe soon, but the others will have to wait until I run out of CL recipes to make from the Aug. issue!

[guavagirl]

Sorry, folks, I just couldn't help but bump this up (as tomatoes spill forth from my ears :p).

I'd be interested in learning about folks' real-life experience with any particular gazpacho recipes. And is it true that the "old world" recipes contain bread or some sort of homemade crouton?

[emilycat]

guavagirl (cute name, btw :) ),

This may go without saying, but have you checked out Epicurious? I've saved about 3 Gazpacho recipes from their site to my "recipe box," and they all sound similar to what you described. Here's a link to about 25 of them, if you're interested. I have loads of garden tomatoes, too, right now, so I'm planning on trying one of these within the next week. Let me know if any work out for you! :)

[Meg O'C]

Guavagirl,
My caterer served gazpacho at my wedding too (just last summer). I was insistent that it be on the menu but I also did not want people sitting for too long eating course after course after course (summer, outdoor wedding). Anyway, they set up a gazpacho station as part of the cocktail hour and it was a huge hit. For months after the wedding, my guests talked about the gazpacho . . .
. . . and yet I've never made it myself - I think I'm just afraid it won't compare to the delicious gazpachos I've had out.
Thanks for starting the topic. I'm definitely going to try the recipe in the August issue and may check Epicurious too (thanks to emilycat's suggestion).

[Deanna]

Mmmmm...I absolutely LOVE Gazpacho!

I do have a recipe at home that is tried and true...will post it for you this weekend.

d

[emilycat]

Okay, I am such a flake -- here's the link. :o

http://www.epicurious.com/s97is.vts?action=filtersearch&filter=recipe-filter.hts&collection=Recipes&ResultTemplate=recipe-results.hts&queryType=and&keyword=gazpacho

[Deanna]

Here you go! I love this stuff...

* Exported from MasterCook *

Gazpacho - the Real Stuff

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Appetizers, Dips and Spreads Soups & Stews
Tried & True

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
46 ounces tomato juice -- (large can)
1 medium onion -- chopped
2 large tomatoes -- peeled and chopped
1 green pepper -- chopped
1 cucumber -- peeled, seeded, and chopped
2 scallions -- schopped
1 clove garlic -- crushed
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves -- chopped
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice -- (use fresh, reconstituted just doesn't cut it)
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 1/2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
dash Tabasco sauce

Combine all ingredients in large non-metallic container; stir well. Process in batches in an electric blender until somewhat smooth (don't puree, but retain some texture). Chill at least 2 hours.

Note: It is certainly possible to make this if you don't have all the ingredients on hand. It is excellent even without the tarragon and basil. Experiment and perfect it to your taste.

Serving size 1 1/2 cups

Description:
"WW Points = 2"
Yield:
"9 cups"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per serving: 116 Calories (kcal); 5g Total Fat; (34% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 18g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 970mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 3 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates


Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

[AZLorena]

guavagirl,

The recipe that is in the August issue is very close to the recipe that mother learned to make when we lived in Spain. I will try to get the actual recipe from her and post it here. I have fond memories of gazpacho from when I was little living with my mom.

AZLorena

[AZLorena]

Okay guavagirl....


Here is the recipe straight from my mom's e-mail. This is really simple and everyone loves it.

Place in the blender the following:

3 cut up med tomatoes
1/2 cut up cucumber
1/2 cut up bell pepper
1/2 small onion
2 slices day old bread
1 Tbsp garlic
1/4 cup vinegar (if preferable, you can add more vinegar).
Blend for about a minute. Strained and refrigerate for one hour before serving. Served with an ice cube.

Toping
1/2 finely chopped cucumber
1/2 finely chopped small onio
1/2 finely chopped bell pepper
cruttons

She learned to make this when we lived in Spain. She has been making it ever since and never has any left over whenever she serves it.

[Alikris]

I love love love gazpacho! Anyway, I'm trying to branch out a lot in my cooking (lol, NO MORE PLAIN CHICKEN BREASTS!) and last night I made Tomato-Melon Gazpacho. I decided to use watermelon (rather than honeydew or cantaloupe)... and I skimped a teeeny bit on the tomatoes... The result? Dad slurps, coughs, look quizzical... "Ali, is this watermelon soup!?" Anyway, I STILL thought it was delicious!

PS! I made "Totally Decadent Banana Choc. Chip Muffins" this morning... DELICIOUS! SOOOOOO incredibly moist, they were practically SWEATING in this heat!