Gazpacho

It was hot so I made some nicely chilled gazpacho last night for dinner for me and my Sweety Pie. But I was wondering what the preferred preparation method was when there is neither a stick blender nor a food processor available. My guess that in the days before automation everything was mashed and mixed with a mortar and pestle and maybe even strained. This, of course, would lead to a wholly different texture which I might prefer to the somewhat airy and foamy results gotten from sticking a boat motor into the ingredients. Anybody out there make gazpacho without the aid of electricity and motors?

[Jenise]

Gary, surely it was the manual predecessor to the Cuisinart, the food mill. You know, these:

http://www.creativecookware.com/food_mills2.htm?gclid=CNrcscD8hZQCFR8cagodnhAnXQ

Surely you ran into one during your time in Europe?

Btw, never be tempted to to make a gazpacho out of yellow tomatoes. I tried it once picturing this lovely bright yellow concoction, but in fact the green vegetables give it a dirty hue.

The food mill was/is perfect for making applesauce. I knew my Grandma's mill well!

Gazpacho is the perfect summer meal. We make it quite often. Served with a loaf of crusty bread or sometimes garlic croutons, with a crisp wine. Voila.

I always finely chop my vegetables. I smash up some of the tomatoes with a potato masher to get a thicker background texture, and throw about 1/3 of the vegetables in the blender for a short burst. I don't like the airy foamy texture of pureed gazpacho generally speaking. I love the crunch of the chopped vegetables.

Do you use fresh dill in yours, Gary?

Depends on the style I'm shooting for, but a chinoise and spatula are not unknown here.

The main thing is to wait until we can get better tomatoes than we can right now.

Gazpacho is the perfect summer meal. We make it quite often. Served with a loaf of crusty bread or sometimes garlic croutons, with a crisp wine. Voila.

I always finely chop my vegetables. I smash up some of the tomatoes with a potato masher to get a thicker background texture, and throw about 1/3 of the vegetables in the blender for a short burst. I don't like the airy foamy texture of pureed gazpacho generally speaking. I love the crunch of the chopped vegetables.

Do you use fresh dill in yours, Gary?

This is my method as well, Cynthia. I like the chunkiness, although I've had more pureed versions that I also thought were quite good.

This is addictive! I never run through a blender, (foaming soup is awful) love the chunks.

1 quart Clamato juice
1/2 cup peeled cucumber, medium dice
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 Tbsp. EVOO
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. dill
1 crushed garlic clove
1 avocado
1/2 tsp. Tabasco Sauce
1/2 to 1/2 lb. small salad shrimp (I like to use the larger shrimp and chop into chunks)
1 cup tomato juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Mix all, put into container and chill for one day.

Optional - add chopped jalapeño, celery, red bell pepper or lime juice

Do you use fresh dill in yours, Gary?

Not this time around, Cynthia, but it would be good and I think Zari would dig it, too, because there's a lot of dill going around in Persian cuisine. What I don't want is a bowl of cold V8!! I did some poking around and it seems the basis recipe for gazpacho is simply stale bread, olive oil, vinegar, and salt which kind of reminds me of something my mother used to make (bread salad) which has an Italian name which I've forgotten ... pan sumptin'.

Everyone else, I will take your advice and tips to heart and play with this thing. Stuart, I've stocked up on the Charmin' and charcoal compresses just in case.

Panzanella !

I just ran across a great recipe for it using asparagus and peas and spinach. Yum.

Panzanella !
I just ran across a great recipe for it using asparagus and peas and spinach. Yum.

There are words I always seem to forget ... not a good thing for someone who used to do simultaneous interpretation for the U.S. government ... or maybe it was a good thing?

This is addictive! I never run through a blender, (foaming soup is awful) love the chunks.

You said it!

I use both a food mill and a blender. The food mill is to separate the tomato pulp from the seeds and skin. I finish the gazpacho in the blender, as I do not know how else to incoporate the saoked bread, oil, garlic and cucumber and produce a fine emulsion without using an excessive amount of work with equipment I don't own. It does not get frothy.