6.05.2011

Strawberry Gazpacho

I just figured out the name of the Dos Equis guy, "The Most Interesting Man in the World".  It must be Gazpacho.  It's a name that sounds powerful. A man that is respected, and also intimidating.  Sounds very cool-tempered, yet firm.  Someone who wears nice jackets with printed linings. Someone who owns distinguished hats.  Someone that doesn't say much, but when he does, everyone shuts up.  Gazpacho.


I just made Gazpacho soup for the first time.  Gazpacho is a chilled Spanish Andalucian tomato-based soup.  I've seen chunky versions and I've seen pureed versions.  I went with a chunky version to comply with my cookbooks.  [Insert pat on the back]  I didn't have enough tomatoes, so instead of going to the store, I substituted a pound of strawberries, in place of some of the tomatoes. [Retract pat on the back] 

So what did I learn? 

1) Chunky Gazpacho failed the soup test.  A good soup must pass the soup test.  This can be a very simple exercise with your 10 year old.  If you're going to call yourself a soup, then I would imagine you can't get through TSA airport security.  Of the phases of matter, a soup cannot be a solid, cannot be a gas...unless it's making an exit from your digestive system.  Soup should be pureed and slurpable.  And when you think about spilling it on the floor, you should cringe.

2) A chilled soup sounds cool (literally), but no one I know so far actually wants it or craves it.  As, I said before, the name Gazpacho is very intimidating.

3) It's all about Marketing.  After I combined the ingredients, I was thinking "Um, gazpachoooooo...this is what we Texans call SALSA, people!!!"  Salsa test - Pass!  I did add some liquid to mine because the original goal was soup, but it was still a salsa.  So, serve it with a tortilla chip instead of a spoon and call it "Gazpacho Salsa".

4) Some good things come about by accident.  The strawberry substitution was a great accident.  You get just a sweet, cooling hint of strawberry, but still the flavor of a good salsa. 

I don't always make gazpacho, but when I do, I prefer strawberries.


Strawberry Gazpacho Salsa
Recipe: Adapted from MANY cookbooks, 
mostly from Cuisinart Food Processor Manual

Yield: Enough Salsa for a small village
Pre-requisite:  This is a breeze with a food processor.  This is a nightmare without it.

Ingredients:

1 jalapeno, cut into 1" chunks
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1 green bell pepper cut into 1" pieces
1/2 small red onion, cut into 1" pieces
5 roma tomatoes, cut into 1" chunks
1/3 cup italian flat leaf parsley
1 lb strawberries, halved
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Finely chop jalapeno and garlic cloves in food processor.  Empty into a bowl
2. Finely chop onion and parsley in food processor.  Empty into the bowl.
3. Finely chop cucumber and bell pepper in food processor.  Empty into the bowl.
3. Finely chop tomatoes and strawberries in food processor.  Empty into the bowl.
4. Add olive oil, vinegar, and salt and mix well.
5.  Chill in the fridge for an hour or overnight. 
6. Serve at room temperature with tortilla chips.

7 comments:

  1. Ha ha! Berry funny. I have about 4 baskets of strawbs in my fridge (couldn't pass up a deal at the farmers' market) but didn't really want to make a dessert because I'd eat it. I'm thinking a strawberry salsa with all strawbs, and no 'maters! Thanks for being my most amusing muse!

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  2. Thanks lentil! All strawberries would be yummy!!! Let me know what you think. I know sometimes strawberries r just good on their own too!

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  3. When I encounter good strawberries, they disappear in the car (like on Saturday, when we ate 2 and a half baskets on the way home from the farm, leaving only a handful for me to take a picture of:)
    Yes, we are in California, but it's still hard to avoid the yucky fake strawberries offered everywhere.
    I love the idea of your salsa (I would also opt for salsa over the gazpacho, even though I will see a mustachioed sombrero-wearing muchacho every time I hear that word, thanks to you:)
    You are ridiculously funny and I just love coming over for a cup of wit and entertainment:)

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  4. I'm about to receive a quart of strawberries in my CSA this week. And since I've never seen the berry in a gazpacho before, well, some kitchen experimenting might soon be in my future.

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  5. I LOVE gazpacho!!! I have never tried it with strawberries, but now I will have to... I am sure I can force myself. ;)

    Oh, and you crack me up: "Someone who owns distinguished hats." HA! Gazpacho does sounds like quite the powerful man.

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  6. Lana - Thanks for your comment. Glad Senor Gazpacho can make an impression on you. ;-)
    Molly - Thanks so much! I would love to know how it turned out!
    Cilantropist - I am sure you can provide a better photo too. I don't understand how each of your photos are so perfect!!!

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  7. This looks so delicious! And your photo IS beautiful! Like Lana, I tend to eat all of my strawberries on the way home from where I got them. If any make it home next time, I'm trying this for sure! :-)

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