Gazpacho Andaluz

I never liked gazpacho as a kid. Gazpacho is a traditional cold tomato soup with regional variations all over Spain. The most well-known in the States is a puree of fresh tomatoes, bell peppers, bread and cucumbers. How could this go wrong, one might ask. Well, it can. If you make it with canned bread crumbs and tinned tomatoes, as most American recipes suggest, it isn't very good - sort of gritty and metallic. It also tends to separate, which makes the texture even less appealing.

Given that I'd never had a gazpacho that I liked, it was with a certain lack of enthusiasm that I decided to make it. Honestly, I never would have if I hadn't had two pounds of tomatoes that really needed using. So, I went rummaging through a cookbook my mom has given me about three years ago, La Cocina de Mama by Penelope Casas. I'd never cooked from Ms. Casas excellent book, not because the recipes didn't look wonderful, but because I don't cook Spanish food. My grandmother cooks the Spanish food in the family, and so does my mother, to a slightly lesser degree. There is no need for me to cook Spanish food, so I haven't. But with two pounds of ripe tomatoes yelling at me from the fridge, I cracked the book open and found the only recipe that called for that many desperately ripe tomatoes - gazpacho.

I was not thrilled.

Still, I fired up the food processor and made it anyway, and Oh, My God, it was good. Seriously. This gazpacho was delicious - velvety and smooth, without a trace of grit, tangy and creamy at the same time, super refreshing and oddly filling. It was magnificent. And so, I simply must share it with my two or three occasional readers :-)

A quick note: Like I said, gazpacho has a ton of regional variations - there's even one from Malaga that uses white grapes and almonds (which I will be trying out shortly). This one is from Andalusia and it's very close to what people typically think of as gazpacho. The only difference here is the omission of the cucumbers. If you really love or miss them, I'd suggest chopping some up in a fine dice and using them as a garnish on top. Resist the urge to add them to the soup as the balance of flavors is really already perfect.

Ingredients:

- 2 1/2 lbs. very ripe tomatoes, quartered

- 1 med - lg. garlic clove

- 1 med. red bell pepper, coarsely chopped

- One, 2 in. bread cube cut from a firm French or sourdough loaf, crusts removed

- 2 tbs. sherry vinegar (if you don't have sherry vinegar, red wine vinegar will do. Don't use balsamic, it's too overwhelming)

- 2 tsp. kosher or sea salt

- 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

- a dash of pimenton (Spanish paprika), optional

- 1 tsp. sugar

- 1/2 cup mild extra-virgin olive oil

Process:

1. Place half the tomatoes in the bowl of a food processor with the garlic, pepper, bread, vinegar, salt, cumin, paprika (if using), and sugar. Blend until no large pieces remain.

2. With the processor running, add the remaining tomatoes one or two chunks at a time.

3. When everything is well blended, slowly drizzle in the oil. Beat until it's as smooth as possible.

4. Pour the soup into a large bowl. Using a food mill or hand-held blender, blend the soup until there are absolutely no solids and it has a velvety texture. This is a purely "to taste" step - if you like chunkier gazpacho, skip this step and move onto step 5.

5. Chill the soup for at least 3 hours. It can be refrigerated overnight, and I think it tastes better if it does - the rest gives all of the flavors a chance to mellow out and blend together. Before serving, taste and adjust salt and vinegar to taste. If the soup is too thick, slowly add a bit of ice water to thin to the consistency you prefer. Serve it in bowls with a garnish of bell peppers (or cucumber) or nothing at all. Buen Provecho!