Classic Gazpacho

Ahh Summer. Well not quite yet, but the weather and produce is making a turn for the warmer. In Whole Foods this week (I am a Whole Foods gal now, because my move put me a touch too far from my beloved Wegmans), I found cherries, apricots, and beautiful tomatoes. They may not be Jerseys yet, but they were so delicious, they just had to become my absolute favorite tomato dish. When I lived (lived being the loose term applied to the summers I spent there) in Spain, particularly Madrid, I ate Gazpacho every single day. I could not get enough, and I never got sick of it. I would have it for lunch, or stop on my walk home from class. I loved the cool and refreshing soup, and the little plate of mix ins it came with. Making this made me so happy, and eating it out on my deck this weekend brought me right back to my favorite little neighborhood joint in Madrid, where I would sit outside, enjoy the weather, the company of good friends, and a delicious bowl of cool, refreshing Gazpacho.

Classic Gazpacho:
2 inch long piece of baguette, without the crust
2 garlic cloves
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp of Sherry vinegar
1 tsp of sugar
2 1/2 lb of tomatoes
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 jalapeno
1/2 cucumber
1/4 vidalia onion

Fixings:
1/2 a tomato
1/2 cucumber
1/2 bell pepper
1/4 vidalia onion
1/2 lime
2 inch piece of baguette

In a food processor, minch the garlic and salt together. Soak the bread in a some water for 1 minute, then ring out as much water as you can and add to the food processor. Core and quarter the tomatoes, peel the cucumber, and remove the seeds and ribs from the bell pepper Add in sherry, sugar, half of the tomatoes, the peppers, cucumber and onion. Blend until no large pieces remain, while the motor is running, and the rest of the tomatoes, until everything is liquified and combined. Taste and adjust seasonings. Pass soup through a strainer into a large bowl. Reserve the solids. Cover the gazpacho and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to overnight. Serve with the fixings: dice the tomato, cucumber, pepper, and onion into small squares. Slice the lime into thin wedges. Slice the baguette like you are making bruscetta (into thin strips). Toast the bread and then cube that as well. To serve your soup (in the classic Spanish fashion), serve the gazpacho plain, with the fixings on the side and let people stir in their own amounts of each to the soup before eating. Use reserved solids to make pan con tomate (see below).

You could discard the solids, but it's much tastier and less wasteful use them for pan con tomate (a favorite treat of mine from my time in Barcelona). It's like a Spanish version of a extra garlicy bruscetta. Slice 2 inch pieces of baguette and then cut those in half. Toast them lightly, then rub them with a garlic clove that has been cut in half. Drizzle the toast with extra virgin olive oil and top with the reserved tomato solids from the soup.

Happy Eating.