Thursday 1 March 2012

Gazpacho








It has rained and rained today. Our summer has left with a whimper.  Last week we were hanging out by the pool, this week we are under our umbrellas. The weather is just plain weird.

Gazpacho isn't usually the first thing that comes to mind when it's raining buckets outside. It's the sort of the soup that is eaten when the sun is at it's fiercest and the tomatoes are bursting with flavour - I got the last part right any way. Our tomatoes, cucumbers, garlic and onions are carrying on doing their thing no matter the weather. All the vegetables for this soup are growing a couple of feet from my back door and with produce of this quality, it would be a crime not to make gazpacho. We'll just have to close our eyes and pretend we're in Andalusia.

Gazpacho
from Tommi Miers' A Cook's Tour of Spain
Serves 6

100g rustic white bread, crusts removed
1kg ripe tomatoes, skinned, halved and de-seeded
½ red onion, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 Lebanese cucumber, peeled
A good pinch caster sugar
100ml extra virgin olive oil
2 -3 tsp good quality sherry vinegar (to taste)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
plus more extra virgin olive oil for finishing


Soak the bread in just enough cold water to cover for 2 - 3 minutes. After it has softened, squeeze a little of the water out.

Place the remaining soup ingredients in a food processor. Add the bread and blend until smooth. Season to taste.

You can pour the soup into a jug with some ice cubes if you want to eat it straight away, or you can chill it by putting in the fridge for 3 - 4 hours or overnight before serving.

Pour the soup into pretty cups or glasses. Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and serve.

No comments:

Post a Comment