Though technically a
Spanish food, gazpacho as we know it would not exist without
the introduction of New World tomatoes into Old World cuisine.
The quality of the gazpacho rests in the tomatoes you select.
Make gazpacho only at the peak of tomato season; use the freshest,
ripest tomatoes you can find.
-
5 or 6 medium tomatoes, cut into eighths
-
1/2 cucumber, cut into chunks
-
1 small bell pepper, quartered
-
1/2 medium onion, cut into chunks
-
3 or 4 cloves of garlic
-
a hunk of stale, crusty bread--the leftover end of a baguette
works well
-
olive oil
-
red wine vinegar
-
salt
Combine the first six ingredients in a 5-cup blender jar. Make
the gazpacho in batches. if your blender jar holds less, using
half the amount of each ingredient at a time. Blend on high
speed until pureed. The bread acts as a thickener; blend until
the liquid absorbs all of the bread. Now for the tedious part:
straining. Balance a fine meshed sieve over a bowl. Pour a small
amount of puree into the sieve; stir and press until all the
liquid strains into the bowl. Discard the remaining seeds and
peel.
Continue until all of the puree is strained. Add a splash
of oil and vinegar and salt to taste. Chill the gazpacho until
serving time.
Plain gazpacho tastes wonderful, but some folks prefer theirs
chunky. Set out dishes of diced tomatoes, cucumbers, bell pepper,
onions, and garlicky croutons, and let them help themselves.
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