gazpacho – Myfrenchkitchen

A gazpacho for summer is a winner with everybody. Why not try a duo with two gazpachos served in one bowl.Its colourful and flacourfull and it is summer in a bowl. Add with that a crunchy salsa and slices of sourdough bread and it can make for a good vegetarian meal.

Recipe:

Green: 1 large cucumber
1 large spring onion, white bulb and green stem and green leaves
1 large granny smith apple
Half a cup of mint leaves, removed from the stems
1 large green pepper
juice of half a lime
2 TBSP of white balsamic vinegar
100ml apple juice (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Red: 4 large tomatoes, skin removed by making a cross at the top, dipping into boiled water for about 5 minutes, rinse under cold water and peel off the skin.
1 large spring onion, only the white bulb
Half a cup of basil leaves
1 large red pepper
juice of half a lemon
3 TBSP of tomato paste
2 TBSP of balsamic vinegar
100 ml tomato juice juice (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Salsa: Half a red onion diced
Half yellow pepper diced
Small spring onion
2 slices of bread, cut into cubes and toasted in the oven (optional)
Olive oil

Chop and blend all the ingredients for green gazpacho together until liquid. It doesnt have to be velvety smooth.
Season to taste and pour into a jug.
Chop and blend all the ingredients together for the red gazpacho.
Season to taste and pour into a jug.
Dice the ingredients for the salsa and mix. Add the cubes of toasted bread just before serving.
Let the gazpachos and salsa cool in the fridge until serving.
Take the two jugs,(or two ladels), one in each hand and pour the two gazpachos slowly at the same time, left and right, into a bowl until the two liquids meet in the middle.
Add the salsa on top of the line where the two gazpachos meet.
Add the toasted croutons on the salsa.(optional)
Drizzle the bowl with olive oil and sprinkle with milled pepper.
Repeat with three other bowls.
Serve cold with extra bread on the side.

Serves Four as a starter

Pinch of salt:

Add some apple juice to the green gazpacho if its too thick to your liking.
Add some tomato juice to the red gazpacho if its too thick to your liking.
Add some cubed avocado to the salsa.
Add some kiwi to the salsa.
Add crumbed feta to the salsa.
Add 2 kiwis to the green gazpacho instead of the apple.
Use shallots in the red gazpacho instead of the green onion bulb.

I love sorrel, especially with salmon. This time round, I thought a sorrel gazpacho could be nice too with its slightly sour characteristic. Topped with some apple brunoise and croûtons, it could only be gorgeous. So, why not try it and see if you love it as much as I did and still do. I tried it out on mon chéri and he devoured two bowls, practically licking them out. A sure winner for this spring and summer.

La recette:

Peel and cut 3/4 cucumber and 5 kiwis in cubes. Place in mixer/blender.
Wash 1 large handful of green sorrel leaves(or mix of green and red sorrel) and remove the hard stems. Add to the blender.
Blend together until a puree.
Remove to a bowl.
Season with salt, pepper, apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar and chopped tarragon.
Cut 1 apple and the other 1/4 cucmber (with peel) into small dice(brunoise). Drizzle with apple cider vinegar.
Cut 3 slices of stale country bread in small cubes, drizzle with olive oil, season with fleur de sel and chopped tarragon and roast in the oven until crisp.
Serve the gazpacho in individual glass bowls, top with the cubes of apple, cucumber, croutons and tarragon.
Drizzle with olive oil and a drop of french mustard and serve at room temperature with extra toppings on the side.

Serves 3-4 people

Pincée de fleur de sel:

Use a mix of sorrel and a green with a more peppery taste, like watercress, or even young spinach leaves, some salad leaves with a pronounced taste, lamb’s ears salad leaves(which are sweet and mild), even radish leaves could be delicious.
Add some green tomato(peeled) and for those with strong digestive systems, greenpepper.
Stick to crispy toppings which contrast beautifully with the gazpacho.
Don’t serve directly from the fridge…too cold a temperature kills the taste , room temperature or just below is the best.

The greens in April are quite special with all its new shoots, young leaves and colourful buds, while some trees and branches are still bare. Below some photos of the area with its greens, from dark to yellow to almost white.

In the garden, the tulipes dentelle “Snow valley” are in full bloom, my favorite tulip. The bees are back, the Jack Frost is happy with its little blue flowers and the strawberries are plentiful.

I couldn’t resit playing around with all the greens from the market and the greens from the fields…the greens in April, wild or cultivated, beautiful in their own right.