Gazpacho (for Shane)

When Shane and I first got got together, before there were children with sensitive little tastebuds, ballet recitals, orchestra performances and drumsticks, we moved to the Tempe, Arizona area together so that I could finish my Theatre Education degree at ASU. There, we met some of our best friends, and we discovered a great little place called Pita Jungle, where we used to share an order of hummus w/ pita and cold, refreshing bowls of gazpacho on a hot afternoon.

We loved gazpacho. In fact, somebody gave us a tote bag with a recipe for gazpacho printed on it, but, before I ever got to try it, the bag disappeared. Then there was school, and work, and soon enough, children, a move to California...and somehow, I just never got around to trying my hand at making gazpacho. I don't know why. I always knew it would be easy enough, and I always knew how much we liked it, but I just never did. That is, until yesterday.

While I was (and continue) to recover from bronchitis (and terrible side effects from the medication I was given), I had a lot of time on my hands. I decided to spend some of it researching gazpacho recipes in an effort to find one that sounded like it might approximate our beloved Pita Jungle gazpacho. I discovered that, traditionally, gazpacho contains bread, but the one we liked so much didn't seem to, so I decided to skip that. I found a lot of variations, but, in the end, decided to base mine on a recipe in the Joy of Cooking. I did make some modifications (and you might make more) but the resulting gazpacho was so well-received by my husband, that I promised to share the recipe with friends, so here it is (mine, that is, not the Joy of Cooking's...'though it is close):

GAZPACHO

In a food processor, finely chop:

1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, coarsely chopped
1 medium green pepper, coarsely chopped
Remove to a large bowl (or pitcher).

Finely chop in the processor:

1 small red onion
1/3 - 1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro (leaves only; no stems)
Remove to the same bowl or pitcher.

In the processor, finely chop:

2 1/2 lbs ripe tomatoes, peeled*, seeded and coarsely chopped
Remove to the bowl/pitcher.

Now, to the chopped veggies in your bowl/pitcher, add the following:

1-2 cups tomato juice (start with 1c, mix, decide if you need more)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 TBS extra virgin olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsps. salt

If desired, add 1 fresh jalapeno, seeded and minced, or a few dashes of hot sauce. I chose to skip this and serve with hot sauce on the side, since I wasn't sure how spicy the kids would like it. Remember, too, if you will be storing it in the fridge for a day or two, the hot pepper will get hotter over time as it sits, so you might be better off leaving that on the side.

Taste and adjust seasonings. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

This makes a very thick soup. If you like it thinner, you can add ice cold water to thin it. Make sure the water you add is cold, so your veggies stay nice and crisp.


*The easiest way to peel a tomato is as follows:

Bring to a boil a large pot of water. Have ready nearby a large bowl of cold water. Cut a tiny "x" in the bottom of each tomato. Plunge tomatoes into hot water for just a minute or so, then fish them out with tongs and drop them into the cold water for another minute or so. When you pull them out of the cold water, you should be able to pull off the skins with very little effort. Cut peeled tomatoes in half, scoop out the seeds, and you're ready to roll.

Hope you all enjoy this as much as we do. We are keeping it in a pitcher in the fridge and eating at it whenever we feel a little peckish. Shane has requested that I keep some around "all the time." I am not sure how realistic a goal that is, but I will try to make it often :)

(Thanx, honey!)