It has been a dizzying few weeks for me, how ’bout you? This is how my weeks went: climb over mountainous piles of moving boxes to get to my computer, sit there for hours, the time punctuated by the occasional beeping of a car horn by some impatient Connecticut driver, and pour through pages and pages of my manuscript edited thoughtfully (and thoroughly) by my editor. Yes, my computer became my best friend, the only other thing/person that I interacted with was my husband…and even that was minimal.
It was difficult having an entirely new state to explore and trying to be good, trying to stick to a deadline, so I knew that this exploration would have to wait. But summer stretches out before me, bringing with it soft serve ice cream cones, baskets full of cherries, and buttery lobster rolls. I can’t wait! Now, with the manuscript resubmitted, I am free– at least for a brief while, and then the second round of edit hits, like a summer electrical storm.
As you may have guessed, I haven’t been cooking much lately; but even a busy girl, with a slightly bare pantry, gets the itch to do some cooking. Or blending as it may be. Gazpacho is not my favorite, it always sounds utterly delicious to me, but in fact, leaves me empty. Brian concurs, saying it always tastes a bit like V-8, so why not just drink that instead? Generally, we lead a gazpacho-free life. But it has been hot here, and especially hot in our new air conditioner-less apartment (more on that, if you’re interested). But this recipe, torn out of a year old copy of Food and Wine magazine, and made with watermelon in addition to the standard tomatoes and cucumbers, sounded tempting.
Refreshing and crisp tasting–if a mostly liquid supper can even be called that–this gazpacho was the perfect antidote to those hot summer days. It’s beautiful, almost fuchsia in color with a vibrant jalapeno-scallion relish of sorts, bringing a pleasant heat to this cooling dish. The watermelon and the tomato play off of one another nicely, the melon offering a sweetness while the tomato, a tang. Chilled, it was an ideal meal to have, before putting my nose back to the grindstone, and then tumbling softly into bed.
Following is the complete recipe, which makes 12 appetizer servings. I however, made half of the recipe, and it turned out well. This gazpacho keeps for a few days in the refrigerator, making it perfect for a lazy summer chef. I served mine with a squeeze of lime and a side of fried plantains.
Watermelon Gazpacho
Food and Wine, August 2007
6 1/2 pounds tomatoes, cored
2 pounds seedless watermelon, peeled- 2 cups coarsely chopped, 2 cups diced
2 pounds cucumbers, peeled and seeded- 2 cups coarsely chopped, 2 cups diced
1/4 cup sherry vinegar (I used white wine vinegar, and a splash of balsamic, it was all I had and it worked well.)
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
6 scallions, thinly sliced
2 jalapenos, seeded and minced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
Bring a large pot of water to a boil to blanch the tomatoes, until skins are loosened, about 30 seconds. Peel the tomatoes and slice them in half cross-wise. Working over a coarse sieve set in a large bowl, squeeze the tomato halves, releasing the juice and seeds. Press on the seeds. You should have approximately 2 cups. Coarsely chop the tomatoes to make 4 cups. Dice the remaining tomatoes into 1/2-inch pieces.
In a food processor, puree the the coarsely chopped tomato, the reserved tomato juice, the 2 cups each of the coarsely chopped watermelon and the cucumber together. Transfer the soup into large bowl, stir in the reserved diced tomato, cucumber, and watermelon. Stir in the vinegar, and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour.
In a small bowl, mix the scallion, jalapenos, cilantro, and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle gazpacho into individual bowls, drizzle with remaining olive oil, and pass the lime relish to garnish.
