Our tomato crop has been weird this year, lots of very small tomatoes regardless of variety. anyway had quite a few bigger than cherry but smaller than typical plum or globes. We also had a very large burpless hybrid that had been in the fridge for a while. Mix that with warm weather and it was time for gazpacho. I wanted simple, so I combined my aunt's old authentic Spanish recipe with Ina's. The result posted below is the best I've had in a long time. I forgot the Tabasco, but it was great without it. I told DH he could put Sriracha on it, but he said it did not need it so I left it off the adapted recipe.
GAZPACHO***** Serves 6
I prefer finely chopped veggies so that is how I made it. My cucumber was a big and fat burpless so I peeled and seeded. My plum tomatoes were very small, so I used a combo of plum and globe tomatoes to make the 1¾ cups. I used half of huge bell pepper + a medium bell pepper. Both had been cored and seeded and then food-savered and frozen. I ran out of sherry vinegar so I subbed 2 tsps. of rice vinegar. Can use orange or yellow instead or red. Original called (Ina's in parenthesis) for red wine vinegar (white wine vinegar), green onions (red onion), chicken broth (regular tomato juice) and a slice of bread. dash of Tabasco (black pepper), and . Can be garnished with sour cream or crème fraîche. Perfect texture without bread. Very refreshing. Makes about 8 cups.
3 garlic cloves
1 large cucumber (about 1¾ cups finely chopped)
4 plum tomatoes (about 1¾ cups finely chopped)
1 shallot
2 medium red bell peppers, cored and seeded
23 oz. V8 juice (about 3 cups)
1/8 cup white balsamic vinegar
1/8 cup champagne vinegar
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 tsp. kosher salt (up to 1½ tsps.)
1/2 tsp. cumin
Peel the garlic if needed. Put in the food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until minced.
If using regular cucumber peel, halve and seed. Roughly chop the cucumbers into 1" cubes. Add to processor and pulse until finely chopped. (Can leave chunkier if desired.) Remove to 8 cup measuring cup and note the amount. Move to fine colander and let drain. Before adding to other veggies. press down on the chopped cucumber in the colander to remove as much liquid as possible.
Seed the plum tomatoes. Can seed the globe if desired. Roughly chop the tomatoes into 1" pieces and put in the food processor. Pulse the tomatoes until finely chopped (or leave chunkier if desired) and put in now empty measuring cup. Should have roughly the same amount as the cucumbers.
Peel a then cut the shallot into 1" pieces. Put into food processor and pulse until it is finely or coarsely chopped. Leave in food processor.
If using frozen bell peppers, do not thaw, just put under warm water for a second to separate, then cut. Core and seed the bell peppers and roughly chop into 1" pieces. Put into food processor with the shallots, and pulse until finely or coarsely chopped.
IF PREFER FINELY CHOPPED:
If prefer finely chopped leave shallot and bell peppers in the food processor, and add all the other chopped veggies. Then add V8 juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and cumin. Pulse a few times to combine the liquids and seasonings and get the desired consistency. Then return to measuring cup, cover and refrigerate.
IF PREFER COARSELY CHOPPED:
If prefer coarse remove shallot and bell pepper combo to measuring cup. Put drained cucumber back in cup and stir to combine all the veggies. Then add the V8 juice, vinegars, olive oil, salt and cumin and stir well to combine. Cover and place in the refrigerator to chill well.
The longer gazpacho sits, the more the flavors develop.
Preparation Time: 30 minutes Inactive Time: 8 hours Total Time: 8 hours and 30 minutes
Author: Alina's Adaptation
Source: foodnetwork.com
Web Page:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina- ... index.htmlRecipe Type: ALINA'S ADAPTATION, Bell Peppers, Ina Garten, Make-Ahead, Shallots, Soups, Tomatoes
