Posted on by Myfrenchkitchen · 1 Comment

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

Piperade with homegrown sweet peppers

We still have sweet peppers in the potager and they are super sweet and colourful. This will probably be the last batch for this season. So I decided to make piperade which we love. I do it a bit different than the original way that comes from the southwest in France, particularly the Basque region. I make mine seperately in the oven and mix it all together at the last minute before serving. Its a bit less juicy and saucy and the flavors of all the ingredients harmonize without losing their individuality. We especially enjoy it on rustic toasted country bread for a lunch.

Piperade with homegrown peppers

Recipe:

  • 4 large pepper of different colours.
  • On large onion
  • A big handful of cherry tomatoes, or grape tomatoes, cut in half
  • 4 cloves of garlic, cleaned and lightly squashed
  • salt and pepper
  • Olive oil
  • Fresh thyme
  • Raspberry flavoured balsamic vinegar
  1. Preheat the oven to 180 degr C.
  2. Wash the peppers and slice into chunks, or thin slices if you prefer. Add to an oven pan with fresh thyme and drizzle liberally with olive oil.
  3. Clean the onion and cut into medium chunks. Add to another oven pan .
  4. Wash the cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes and slice in half. Add the tomatoes to the onion and add the cleaned and squashed garlic cloves.
  5. Roast the vegetables in the oven pans until tender and slithgly charred, for about 30 minutes. Take care not to burn the peppers. If youve sliced them thinly, they will roast quicker.
  6. Remove from the oven, mix the vegetables together, drizzle with more olive oil, season with salt and pepper and drizzle finally with some raspberry flavouredbalsamic vinegar.
  7. Serve warm or at room temperature with crusty bread or as a side with meat or fish.

Serves about 4 people as side dish

A pinch of salt:

  • Enjoy with slices of toasted whole wheat bread.
  • Serve as a side with fish or chicken.
  • Add tarragon instead of thyme if you serve it with chicken.
  • A full vegetarian meal.
  • For a meat version, add grilled sliced chorizo before serving.
  • If you slice the peppers into thin slices, they will roast quicker, about 20 minutes.
  • Add some piment d’espelette chilli peppers if you’d like it spicy.