K Kruger
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
Chilled Cucumber Soup (with variations)
3 cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and chopped coarsely
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon Coleman's dry mustard
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
1/4 cup minced fresh dill
Fresh lemon juice
Using a blender, puree the chopped cucumbers, yogurt, sour cream and mustard with a good pinch of salt and transfer to a bowl. Sprinkle with white pepper, mix, taste, then adjust salt and pepper. Chill soup for several hours. Before serving stir in diced cucumber and dill and add lemon juice to taste. Garnish soup with a slice or two of cucumber or a dill sprig.
Variations:
Replace the dill with fresh mint or--
Add 1 or 2 ripe avocados plus a small wedge of Vidalia onion (about 1.5-2 T chopped) to the recipe and puree with the cucumbers in the beginning. Use lime juice instead of lemon. Thin with a little water, if desired. Adjust salt. Optionally, stir in a little finely minced cilantro or parsley just before serving or--
Add one ripe avocado plus one ripe peeled and seeded tomato plus a small wedge of Vidalia and puree with the cukes. Use lemon or lime juice. Garnish with minced basil just before serving.
Tomato-Watermelon Soup
Ripe tomatoes and ripe watermelon go very well together.
4 c cubed seedless or seeded watemelon
1.5 lbs perfectly ripe tomatoes, seeded (or use a 1 or 2 cans of diced tomatoes, slightly drained)
juice of half a lemon; more to taste
2 small celery ribs from the interior of a celery heart or 1 large rib, strings removed, diced
6 T extra-virgin olive oil
salt
pepper
balsamic vinegar
In batches, puree the watermelon with the tomatoes, lemon juice, celery and oil with a good pinch of salt and a turn of the peppermill. Mix the pureed batches together in a bowl then adjust salt and pepper. Add just a short splash of balsamic, mix well; adjust lemon. Chill well. Serve as is or garnish with a little minced basil or a basil chiffonade.
A few Gazpachos
What defines gazpachos is the use of bread for body and creaminess. They may or may not contain tomatoes and may or may not contain but a few other vegetable ingredients.
Important note: Most gazpachos contain fresh garlic and are designed to be made just before serving (by using chilled water so a shorter chill-time in the fridge is possible). Gazpachos can be made successfully in advance, however, but do not include the garlic if making more than a couple hours in advance. Instead, make the gazpacho without the garlic then, about an hour before serving, prep the garlic as required by the recipe, remove a cup or so of the chilled prepared soup from the fridge, and puree the garlic with this cup of soup; return this puree to the soup in the fridge and mix well. Do this will prevent the soup from becoming overwhelmed my the garlic if prepped early.
For the bread buy 'country' white bread from the bakery section of the supermarket, 'artisan' white bread, or baguettes. Slice when you bring it home (if not already sliced) and allow it to sit out on the counter for a day or so. Do not use mass-produced white bread from the bread aisle as it is too sweet and often shelf-stabilized and will not work well.
A classic version:
2 cloves garlic, chopped (see above note)
3 lbs perfectly ripe tomatoes, seeded (see note below), chopped
3 small pickling cucumbers (like Kirby), peeled, chopped
1/2 of a green bell pepper, or 1 Italian frying pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
1/4 c diced red onion
kosher salt
1/4 t ground cumin
2 c cubed day-old bread (see above note), crusts removed
cold water for the bread
about 1/2 c best quality extra-virgin olive oil
about 1/2 c cold water for the soup
2-4 T sherry vinegar
Sprinkle the garlic lightly with salt then, using the side of your knife, mash the garlic into a paste. In a large bowl toss to mix together the garlic paste, tomatoes, cukes, peppers and onion, and very lightly salt the mix. Sprinkle the ground cumin, toss, then allow to stand while the bread is soaking. For that: Put the bread cubes in a small bowl then add cold water just to cover. Let soak 5-10 min then drain the bread and squeeze out the excess water. Break the squeezed bread up a little bit with your fingers as you drop it atop the veg mixture, toss, then allow to stand 10 min more.
In two batches, puree the veg mixture adding half of the olive oil to each; puree well. Mix the two batches together in a bowl then whisk in some of the cold water and a little of the vinegar. Taste, adjust salt and vinegar and add a little more water if needed. Shoot for the consistency of a smoothie. Serve, garniched with a mince of cuke and/or basil and/or tart peeled apple and/or little croutons or just a few drops of olive oil.
Note: To seed tomatoes simply halve the tomatoes crosswise then give them a gentle squeeze to dislodge the seeds and surrounding gelatinous material. Use a small spoon to help, if needed.
Salmorejo
Salmorejo is a version of gazpacho one finds in Cordoba. It is normally served thick but can be made thinner if desired. Thick versions are great as dips or spreads (try it on grilled shrimp or grilled beef kebabs or on chilled vegs).
3 c cubed day-old bread (see above note), crusts removed
2.5 lbs perfectly ripe tomatoes, seeded (see note above), chopped
3 small cloves garlic, chopped
1 Anaheim, Italian frying, banana, or green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
3/4 c best quality extra-virgin olive oil
2 T sherry vinegar
kosher salt
Put the bread cubes in a small bowl then add cold water just to cover. Let soak 5-10 min then drain the bread and squeeze out the excess water. Meanwhile, put the chopped tomatoes in a colander or sieve, sprinkle lightly with salt, and allow to drain while the bread is soaking.
In two batches, puree half the tomatoes, half the squeezed-out bread, half the garlic, and half the chopped pepper till smooth. With the motor running, add half the olive oil in a very slow stream (like when you make mayo) till the soup is thick and emulsified. Remove to a bowl, repeat with the remaining ingredients, then blend the two purees together. Gently whisk in the vinegar, adjust salt, chill for an hour or two; serve. Garnishes are typically a drizzle of oil, a mince or serrano ham (you can use prosciutto, if desired), and/or hard-cooked egg whites but a little chiffonade of basil is welcome.
Ajo Blanco
This recipe for Ajo blanco is based on a version I once had served to me by a chef from Malaga, where this type of gazpacho is often served. Though ajo blanco means 'white garlic', gazpachos of this type are bread- and almond-based and contain garlic but no other vegetable. The glassic garnish is peeled green grapes.
Note: Unless you have a mini-processor consider grinding 2 c of almonds in order to measure out 1 c for the recipe (it's faster this way; store the excess in the fridge tightly covered for use elsewhere). Pulse the almonds during grinding and allow to cool a bit periodically. Do not over-grind or you'll end up with almond butter--but the almonds need to be finely ground. Cooling periodically helps you get a very fine grind without over-processing.
2.5 c cubed day-old bread (see above note), crusts removed
1 c blanched almonds, finely ground (see note above)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
kosher salt
1.5 c cold water
1/3 c extra-virgin olive oil
sherry vinegar
Put the bread cubes in a small bowl then add cold water just to cover. Let soak 5-10 min then drain the bread and squeeze out the excess water. While the bread is soaking, sprinkle a little salt on the garlic then mash into a paste using the side of your knife.
Break the bread up into a blender's container and add the garlic, ground almonds and a cup of the cold water. Pulse the blender to mix well then, with the blender running, add the oil in a very slow steady stream (like when you make mayo) till thick and emulsified. Remove the mix to a bowl then drizzle with a little sherry vinegar. Whisk in the rest of the water, a little at a time, till the soup is the consistency of heavy cream. Chill for an hour or two. Serve, garnished with a 1 or 2 quartered peeled green grapes and/or a fine dice of peeled tart apple.
3 cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and chopped coarsely
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon Coleman's dry mustard
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
1/4 cup minced fresh dill
Fresh lemon juice
Using a blender, puree the chopped cucumbers, yogurt, sour cream and mustard with a good pinch of salt and transfer to a bowl. Sprinkle with white pepper, mix, taste, then adjust salt and pepper. Chill soup for several hours. Before serving stir in diced cucumber and dill and add lemon juice to taste. Garnish soup with a slice or two of cucumber or a dill sprig.
Variations:
Replace the dill with fresh mint or--
Add 1 or 2 ripe avocados plus a small wedge of Vidalia onion (about 1.5-2 T chopped) to the recipe and puree with the cucumbers in the beginning. Use lime juice instead of lemon. Thin with a little water, if desired. Adjust salt. Optionally, stir in a little finely minced cilantro or parsley just before serving or--
Add one ripe avocado plus one ripe peeled and seeded tomato plus a small wedge of Vidalia and puree with the cukes. Use lemon or lime juice. Garnish with minced basil just before serving.
Tomato-Watermelon Soup
Ripe tomatoes and ripe watermelon go very well together.
4 c cubed seedless or seeded watemelon
1.5 lbs perfectly ripe tomatoes, seeded (or use a 1 or 2 cans of diced tomatoes, slightly drained)
juice of half a lemon; more to taste
2 small celery ribs from the interior of a celery heart or 1 large rib, strings removed, diced
6 T extra-virgin olive oil
salt
pepper
balsamic vinegar
In batches, puree the watermelon with the tomatoes, lemon juice, celery and oil with a good pinch of salt and a turn of the peppermill. Mix the pureed batches together in a bowl then adjust salt and pepper. Add just a short splash of balsamic, mix well; adjust lemon. Chill well. Serve as is or garnish with a little minced basil or a basil chiffonade.
A few Gazpachos
What defines gazpachos is the use of bread for body and creaminess. They may or may not contain tomatoes and may or may not contain but a few other vegetable ingredients.
Important note: Most gazpachos contain fresh garlic and are designed to be made just before serving (by using chilled water so a shorter chill-time in the fridge is possible). Gazpachos can be made successfully in advance, however, but do not include the garlic if making more than a couple hours in advance. Instead, make the gazpacho without the garlic then, about an hour before serving, prep the garlic as required by the recipe, remove a cup or so of the chilled prepared soup from the fridge, and puree the garlic with this cup of soup; return this puree to the soup in the fridge and mix well. Do this will prevent the soup from becoming overwhelmed my the garlic if prepped early.
For the bread buy 'country' white bread from the bakery section of the supermarket, 'artisan' white bread, or baguettes. Slice when you bring it home (if not already sliced) and allow it to sit out on the counter for a day or so. Do not use mass-produced white bread from the bread aisle as it is too sweet and often shelf-stabilized and will not work well.
A classic version:
2 cloves garlic, chopped (see above note)
3 lbs perfectly ripe tomatoes, seeded (see note below), chopped
3 small pickling cucumbers (like Kirby), peeled, chopped
1/2 of a green bell pepper, or 1 Italian frying pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
1/4 c diced red onion
kosher salt
1/4 t ground cumin
2 c cubed day-old bread (see above note), crusts removed
cold water for the bread
about 1/2 c best quality extra-virgin olive oil
about 1/2 c cold water for the soup
2-4 T sherry vinegar
Sprinkle the garlic lightly with salt then, using the side of your knife, mash the garlic into a paste. In a large bowl toss to mix together the garlic paste, tomatoes, cukes, peppers and onion, and very lightly salt the mix. Sprinkle the ground cumin, toss, then allow to stand while the bread is soaking. For that: Put the bread cubes in a small bowl then add cold water just to cover. Let soak 5-10 min then drain the bread and squeeze out the excess water. Break the squeezed bread up a little bit with your fingers as you drop it atop the veg mixture, toss, then allow to stand 10 min more.
In two batches, puree the veg mixture adding half of the olive oil to each; puree well. Mix the two batches together in a bowl then whisk in some of the cold water and a little of the vinegar. Taste, adjust salt and vinegar and add a little more water if needed. Shoot for the consistency of a smoothie. Serve, garniched with a mince of cuke and/or basil and/or tart peeled apple and/or little croutons or just a few drops of olive oil.
Note: To seed tomatoes simply halve the tomatoes crosswise then give them a gentle squeeze to dislodge the seeds and surrounding gelatinous material. Use a small spoon to help, if needed.
Salmorejo
Salmorejo is a version of gazpacho one finds in Cordoba. It is normally served thick but can be made thinner if desired. Thick versions are great as dips or spreads (try it on grilled shrimp or grilled beef kebabs or on chilled vegs).
3 c cubed day-old bread (see above note), crusts removed
2.5 lbs perfectly ripe tomatoes, seeded (see note above), chopped
3 small cloves garlic, chopped
1 Anaheim, Italian frying, banana, or green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
3/4 c best quality extra-virgin olive oil
2 T sherry vinegar
kosher salt
Put the bread cubes in a small bowl then add cold water just to cover. Let soak 5-10 min then drain the bread and squeeze out the excess water. Meanwhile, put the chopped tomatoes in a colander or sieve, sprinkle lightly with salt, and allow to drain while the bread is soaking.
In two batches, puree half the tomatoes, half the squeezed-out bread, half the garlic, and half the chopped pepper till smooth. With the motor running, add half the olive oil in a very slow stream (like when you make mayo) till the soup is thick and emulsified. Remove to a bowl, repeat with the remaining ingredients, then blend the two purees together. Gently whisk in the vinegar, adjust salt, chill for an hour or two; serve. Garnishes are typically a drizzle of oil, a mince or serrano ham (you can use prosciutto, if desired), and/or hard-cooked egg whites but a little chiffonade of basil is welcome.
Ajo Blanco
This recipe for Ajo blanco is based on a version I once had served to me by a chef from Malaga, where this type of gazpacho is often served. Though ajo blanco means 'white garlic', gazpachos of this type are bread- and almond-based and contain garlic but no other vegetable. The glassic garnish is peeled green grapes.
Note: Unless you have a mini-processor consider grinding 2 c of almonds in order to measure out 1 c for the recipe (it's faster this way; store the excess in the fridge tightly covered for use elsewhere). Pulse the almonds during grinding and allow to cool a bit periodically. Do not over-grind or you'll end up with almond butter--but the almonds need to be finely ground. Cooling periodically helps you get a very fine grind without over-processing.
2.5 c cubed day-old bread (see above note), crusts removed
1 c blanched almonds, finely ground (see note above)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
kosher salt
1.5 c cold water
1/3 c extra-virgin olive oil
sherry vinegar
Put the bread cubes in a small bowl then add cold water just to cover. Let soak 5-10 min then drain the bread and squeeze out the excess water. While the bread is soaking, sprinkle a little salt on the garlic then mash into a paste using the side of your knife.
Break the bread up into a blender's container and add the garlic, ground almonds and a cup of the cold water. Pulse the blender to mix well then, with the blender running, add the oil in a very slow steady stream (like when you make mayo) till thick and emulsified. Remove the mix to a bowl then drizzle with a little sherry vinegar. Whisk in the rest of the water, a little at a time, till the soup is the consistency of heavy cream. Chill for an hour or two. Serve, garnished with a 1 or 2 quartered peeled green grapes and/or a fine dice of peeled tart apple.
