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Kim and Lauren are the mother-daughter team behind Something New For Dinner. Kim develops the recipes, shoots the photography and writes the posts and weekly emails to our subscribers. Lauren is the Internet marketing guru who developed and maintains our website, leads our marketing efforts, manages our social media and keeps us on track in general.
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My 7 Secrets for Amazing Gazpacho
Now that the dog days of summer are upon us, there is very little appeal in turning on the stove or the oven. On a sweltering day or evening there is nothing better than a frosty cold and delicious bowl of gazpacho.
Gazpacho originated in Andalusia in Southern Spain. Gazpacho appears to have evolved over the millennia. The earliest form of gazpacho likely arrived in Southern Spain with either the Romans or the Moors and was a peasant soup made from garlic, olive oil, stale bread, salt and vinegar. The tomato-rich gazpacho that we know today did not evolve until the 1800's, centuries after Christopher Columbus first introduced tomatoes from the New World to Europe.
There are various types of traditional gazpacho made throughout Southern Spain. Most include garlic, bread, olive oil, Spanish Sherry vinegar, tomatoes, peppers, onions and cucumber, although there are several variations that do not include tomatoes. But many other variations abound including green gazpachos, white gazpacho, gazpachos made with almonds, mushrooms, asparagus and green grapes.
Traditionally, gazpacho was made by hand with a mortar and pestle. Garlic was pounded with soaked bread, olive oil and salt to make a paste. Tomatoes, vegetables and vinegar were added and pounded until a soup-like consistency was obtained.
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1. Bread
2. Ingredients Matter
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3. Pureed or Chunky Gazpacho?
What I find works best is to roughly chop the vegetables in a food processor. Set 1/2 to 3/4 of the chopped vegetables aside and then finely puree the remaining 1/4 to 1/2 of the ingredients. This gives gazpacho a little texture without being too salsa like.
4. Gazpacho Gets Better As it Ages
5. Garnish for Greatness
6. Make Individual Servings
My favorite trick is to pack gazpacho in 8 ounce mason jars. I fill the jars and refrigerate. The jars make for individual servings that are great for a packed lunch or a picnic. I think these Italian mason jars are particularly nice. I use them for individual servings of gazpacho, cold soups, shrimp cocktails and desserts. I also use them to make a week's worth of homemade salad dressing.
Gazpacho Recipes
Here are our favorite gazpacho recipes:
Watermelon Gazpacho
Peach Gazpacho with Goat Cheese Croutons
Avocado Gazpacho
Quinoa Gazpacho
Seafood Gazpacho
Roasted Yellow Gazpacho
Sugar Kiss Melon Gazpacho
7. Gazpacho is Uber Healthy for Your Brain
Lest you think gazpacho is just a tasty summer soup, it is also extraordinarily healthy. Gazpacho fits in well with the Mediterranean diet that focuses on plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, and lots of olive oil. There are lots of health benefits to adhering to the Mediterranean diet, but a recent study shows sticking with a Mediterranean diet is very good for your brain. University of California San Francisco just presented a study at the Alzheimer's Association International conference in London that shows adhering to a Mediterranean diet results in better cognitive function and 30 - 35% lower risk of age-related cognitive impairment. So dust off your food processor, throw in some fresh produce and a generous pour of extra virgin olive oil. Gazpacho is a delicious way to eat your way to long term brain health.
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