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| White Gazpacho with Toasted Almonds, Cukes, and Scallions |
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| Same as above with Grapes |
I've been on a Latin-culinary kick for a few weeks. I don't know if it's the recent visit to Zengo, or that I have a supermarket close-by that specializes in Latin ingredients, or it's the mid-summer heat wave. Anyway, this past week was full of mango, pineapple and avocado salsas, seafood paella, and gazpachos, both white and red. I didn't have "sandwich" bread or white bread, but did have mini croissants, so that's what I used for the white gazpacho which was very good at first, sans grapes. Then, I tried the leftover gazpacho with grapes, and now I know why grapes are part of the dish. This is adapted from several recipes on the Net, one from Dovetail restaurant and another from Ellie Kreiger. And, as a side note, Chef Marcus Samuelsson will be serving a white gazpacho next week at the Chefs & Champagne event.
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| Peeled and Seeded Cukes |
4
cucumbers, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped
4
mini croissants (or sandwich bread), crusts removed1/2 cup warm water
8 garlic cloves
1/2
cup chopped scallion
1/4
cup Sherry vinegar1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup plus 4 teaspoons slivered almonds, lightly toasted, divided
1/2 teaspoon pink salt
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup green grapes, halved
Reserve one cup of chopped cucumber for a garnish. Soak the bread in water until soft, about 2 minutes. Place soaked bread, the rest of the cucumber, the garlic, 1/4 cup of the scallions, vinegar, lemon juice, 1/4 cup of the almonds, and 3 tablespoons of olive oil in the bowl of a food processor and process until cucumbers are completely blended, about 3 to 4 minutes. Season with pink salt.
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| All Ingrdients Ready to Blend |
