Posted on by Myfrenchkitchen

Two tone gazpacho with tomatoes and cucumber, and crunchy salsa.

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
  1. Chop and blend all the ingredients for green gazpacho together until liquid. It doesnt have to be velvety smooth.
  2. Season to taste and pour into a jug.
  3. Chop and blend all the ingredients together for the red gazpacho.
  4. Season to taste and pour into a jug.
  5. Dice the ingredients for the salsa and mix. Add the cubes of toasted bread just before serving.
  6. Let the gazpachos and salsa cool in the fridge until serving.
  7. 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.
  8. Add the salsa on top of the line where the two gazpachos meet.
  9. Add the toasted croutons on the salsa.(optional)
  10. Drizzle the bowl with olive oil and sprinkle with milled pepper.
  11. Repeat with three other bowls.
  12. 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.
Posted on by Myfrenchkitchen

Fresh fig with labneh, pistachios and pomegranate molasses.

This makes for a perfect little starter or in this case an aperitif or amuse bouche. The sweetness of the fig aginst the tartness of the pomegranate molasses and the salty cremainess of the labneh make for a delicious explosion of flavours.It is very easy to make and doesnt take a lot of time. The longest is waiting for the labneh to drain. Make it in season when figs are in abundance and if you can pick it straight from you tree, even better. That is actually a golden rule in cooking…stay in season.

Recipe:

  • Four big figs, yellow or purple
  • labneh
  • pistachio nuts
  • pomegranate molasses
  • little branch of green petit pois
  • sumac
  • Pomegranate seeds(optional)
  • 8 small fig leaves(optional)
  1. Break/tear the figs in half and place each half on a small fig leaf on 8 small plates.
  2. Spoon a small tsp of labneh onto the fig half.
  3. Sprinkle the labneh with sumac.
  4. Drizzle with pomegranate molasses and sprinkle with pistachio nuts and pomegranate seeds.
  5. Finish off with the little green branch of petit pois for decoration and serve as an amuse bouche on a fig leaf.

Serves 8 as amuse bouche or 4 as starter

Pinch of salt:

  • Place two halves on a plate for a starter serving instead of one per person for an amuse bouche serving.
  • Sprinkle some sumac over the whole plate.
  • Use walnuts instead of pistachios.
  • Use soft goat’s cheese or ricotta cheese instead of the labneh.
  • Sprinkle with a few pomegranate seeds.
  • Use any other green herb decoration instead of the pea shoot.