Here comes the Gazpacho: It must be summer

On: By: Leslie Cook
Gazpacho - using equipment you have at home.
Gazpacho – using equipment you have at home.

This week my CSA box included lots of tomatoes and cucumbers, so of course I made Gazpacho. I used to make huge quantities of this wonderful cold, summer soup to serve from my food trailer at festivals — such a great, healthy and delicious treat while you’re out enjoying the fair and something really unique among all those grease-laden fried offerings and sugary commercial products.

In my cafe, I had a Robot Coupe, which was great for petite dicing all the veggies. It made a beautiful Gazpacho, and I’ll try to include a picture here. I no longer have the Robot Coupe and don’t want to dice such large amounts by hand, but I found my food processor worked perfectly well as long as I pulsed each veggie separately to get a nice, even texture.

Tomatoes for Gazpacho ripening in the summer sun.
Tomatoes for Gazpacho ripening in the summer sun.

GAZPACHO (I doubled this recipe, which made about 4-5 quarts)

  • Red bell peppers, 3 medium, petite diced or chunked and pulsed in food processor
  • Cucumbers, 3 medium, petite diced or pulsed in food processor
  • Plum tomatoes, 6-8 medium, petite diced or pulsed in food processor
  • Red onion, 2 medium, pulsed in food processor
  • Garlic, 2 cloves, minced
  • Tomato Juice, one quart cold
  • Extra virgin olive oil, 3/4 cups
  • Sea salt, 1 tsp.
  • Oregano, 1/2 tsp.
  • Basil, 1/2 tsp.
  • Wine vinegar, 2 TB
  • Tabasco sauce, 1 tsp.
  • Szeged hot paprika, 1 tsp.
  • Lemon juice, 2 TB
  • Cilantro, 1 bunch, chopped

Run the veggies through a Robot Coupe on a small dicing blade, maybe 3/8″ — or pulse each veggie separately to a coarse but even consistency in a food processor. Place in a bowl or other receptable. Add the tomato juice, extra virgin olive oil, onion, garlic, seasonings and cilantro. Chill thoroughly until ready to eat. I prefer to make it one day in advance — the plum tomatoes thicken to a wonderful consistency.

Gazpacho if you happen to be the proud owner of a Robot Coupe with a petite dicing blade.
Gazpacho if you happen to be the proud owner of a Robot Coupe with a petite dicing blade.

If you’d like more information about the CSA, please visit Bob’s Fresh and Local (produce) and All Grass Farms (livestock, chickens, milk and cheese).

For more, visit my blog, vegetatingwithleslie.org, “Like” me on FaceBook/Vegetating with Leslie or follow me on Twitter, @vegwithleslie.

Ideas? Would like to hear from you!