Sunday, August 14, 2016

Gazpacho or how I got rid of a ton of tomatoes

AGES and ages ago I went to Barcelona with my Mom. 
Fine~only 2 years ago.  But after my little bouncing ball of joy...2 years ago seems like a decade.
While in Spain, my mom and I took a fabulous cooking class.  It was amazing.  Then I returned to Korea and totally forgot all I learned.
Well....until a few days ago...
A friend gave me tomatoes...like a lot of tomatoes....
And I had no clue what to do with them...I made pasta, sandwiches, stuffed tomatoes, salad.......NO I did not make tomato sauce because I do not like it.  My father says it is because of an incriminating photo of me eating it with my hands as a baby.  But.....THERE IS NO PROOF SUCH A PHOTO EXISTS....ANYMORE
So what to do....
Normally I would make homemade tomato soup but it is summer and HOT.
Then it hit me like a ton of tomatoes...
gazpacho
So I dusted off my memories from a lifetime ago when sleep and drinking wine occured.
And it was the perfect dinner for a summer night.  I paired with with a BTC( Bacon Tomato and Cheese) sandwich and PERFECTION.
Gazpacho~this makes 2 servicings
WHAT YOU NEED
~1/2 lb tomoatoes
~1/2 a large cucumber
~1 tsp apple cider vinegar/red wine vinegar 
~2 cloves of garlic
~salt
~pepper
~1/4 tsp cayenne paper (OPTIONAL)
~1 piece of bread
~1~2 tbsps of Olive Oil

TO TOP 
~Hot sauce
~diced cucumbers
~diced tomatoes
~Olive oil

WHAT TO DO

1~ Roast the tomatoes.  This can be done in a pan or the oven.  You want to cook the tomatoes long enough so the skin blisters but not too long that they turn black.  BLACK=BURNT
This is a step you skip if you are pressed for time or you prefer your tomatoes RAW.
2~Put the tomatoes, cucumbers, garlic in the blender or food processor and puree.  As it blends pour in 1 tbsp of Olive Oil. 
3~Next add the Vinegar, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.  Blend again.
4~ Taste.   Add more  salt and vinegar if it is bland.  Add more Olive Oil if it is too thick.
5~ Lastly add the bread and puree one last time. 
The Gazpacho is ready.  I recommend  refrigerating it for 30 minutes so it is nice and refreshing but that is not necessary.  You can all put this through a strainer to get a smoother consistency. .but I am too lazy for that.
TO LOOK FANCY~~~Before you serve, place diced cucumbers and tomatoes in the center on top of the soup and drizzle Olive Oil and Hot sauce around the edge.
And TA DA...an nice and impressive way to spend a summer evening.  Ps~it is healthy and dairy free.
Enjoy!!!

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