And it’s two bare feet on the dashboard
Young love and an old Ford
Cheap shades and a tattoo
And a Yoo-Hoo bottle rollin’ on the floorboard,
Perfect song on the radio
Sing along ’cause it’s one we know
It’s a smile, it’s a kiss
It’s a sip of wine, it’s summertime
Sweet summertime. ~ Kenny Chesney
Gazpacho is just one more reason to love summer. It’s cool and refreshing and the best use, in my opinion, of the red ripe tomatoes that fill farmer’s markets, road-side stands and our neighbors’ backyards.
This cold soup originated in the south of Spain and predates the Roman era. After Columbus brought from the New World tomatoes and peppers, it changed to closer resemble its present state. It was prized by the peasants during the brutal summers of southern Spain and took advantage of seasonal vegetables and stale bread. “De gazpacho no hay empacho,” a saying in Spain which basically means ~ from gazpacho there are no upset stomachs. This recipe comes from the Culinaria Spain cookbook.
Ingredients (Serves 8)
3 slices bread
1 lb tomatoes, skinned, seeded and chopped
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and diced
½ cup olive oil
Salt
2-3 tbsp sherry vinegar
To garnish (optional)
Cubes of bread
Small cubes of tomato
Bell pepper diced up small
Diced onion
Cubes of ham
Hard-cooked egg, diced up small
Instructions
Cut up bread into cubes, and pour water over the top to cover.
Leave to soak for 30 minutes.
Put the tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper and garlic in a blender, then add the bread with the water, and finally the oil and purée the whole mixture.
Add enough water to reach the desired consistency.
Pass the mixture through a fine sieve and season with salt and vinegar.
Place the gazpacho in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Drizzle with olive oil and serve with garnishments.
Enjoy!
Gazpacho Andaluz
Ingredients
- 3 slices Crusty Bread With The Crust Cut Off
- 1 pound Tomatoes Skinned, Seeded And Chopped
- 1 Cucumber Peeled And Diced
- 1 Green Bell Pepper Stem And Seeds Removed, Diced
- 3 cloves Garlic peeled And Diced
- ½ cups Olive Oil
- Salt To Taste
- 2 Tablespoons Sherry Vinegar
Instructions
- Cut the bread into cubes, put it into a bowl and pour water over the top, just enough to cover it. Leave it to soak for 30 minutes.
- Put the tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper and garlic in a blender, then add the bread with the water that covered it, and finally the oil.
- Purée the whole mixture.
- Add enough water to reach the desired consistency and pulse to combine.
- Pass the mixture into a bowl through a fine sieve and season with salt and vinegar.
- Place the gazpacho in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- Drizzle with olive oil and serve with garnishments.
I love food! I read cookbooks like they were novels. I get giddy in a farmer’s market. I find a chicken in a pot surrounded by carrots, onion, and celery a thing of beauty. My favorite sound is Mmmmmmmm!
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