JULY 19, 2012–GAZPACHO, VANILLA ICE CREAM WITH PEACH-BASIL TOPPING

Today we make up some of the Pillow Case Dresses and today we make GAZPACHO (pg. 70)–not to be confused with the Gastapo–very different things.  Gazpacho is a cold tomato-based soup filled with fresh vegetables.  Now I love tomatoes is just about every which way EXCEPT cold.

  (photo from here.)

I do not like tomato aspic.

(photo from here.)

I do not like V8.

(photo from here.)

I do not like Tomato Juice.

So I really had my doubts about Gaspacho.  What made me decide to try it was the avocado and shrimp on top.

Start by sauteing some shrimp in butter.

Now don’t get the wrong idea.  I LOVE tomatoes sliced.  And this one is a beauty right from my garden.  She is a Beefsteak–which has a rather tough skin, but is a large and delicious tomato.

Dice up some more veggies.  I wish I could say that the onions and zucchini were also from my garden, but I no longer try to grow these vegetables.  The reason why is my kids, neighbor kids, ball, kick-the-can, jump-the-fence, backyard baseball, and shovels and buckets.  Somehow that combination always ended with my plants being trampled and me yelling and nothing changing.  So now I only grow tomatoes and herbs, and I try to grow enough of both so that despite the casualties of war, I will still have enough to win the battle in the end.

Add the tomatoes and fresh veggies to the food processor along with olive oil, vinegar, sugar, hot sauce, salt and pepper, and. . .

. . .tomato juice. (Oh help.)

Blend the ingredients until they are almost completely pureed.

Dice up an avocado.

Assemble and. . .

. . .realize that the kitchen table is in use.  This morning we started on the 20 pillowcase dresses.

Thelma had stopped by to see how we were progressing and tried for the second time to teach Eloise how to crochet.

The pillowcases were all washed and ironed, and we had cut the arm holes in each, but it was time to stop for lunch.  So we cleared the table and served up the GAZPACHO.

. . .I actually liked it.  I don’t think I could have eaten a second bowl, and I don’t have plans on ordering gazpacho the few times I get to eat out, BUT, I did eat the gazpacho.  And on a hot summer day, it was refreshing.  If you are a V8 fan or like tomato juice, you will love this dish.  If not. . . just eat the tomatoes on a BLT sandwich.

Now lunch needed to end with a different taste and texture, so I brought out the PEACH-BASIL ICE CREAM TOPPING (pg. 268)

I had made the simple syrup the night before and had added the fresh peaches.  Overnight was a little too long for the peaches to soak.  I would make up the simple syrup the night before and just add the peaches right before serving (or perhaps for an hour.)  I served this over Pioneer Woman’s Vanilla Bean Ice Cream which I had made back on May 20.

Now the PEACH-BASIL TOPPING tasted fresh and like summer.  However, since I try to limit my ice cream intake, I prefer to use those calories on a Sawdust Turtle Sundae–vanilla ice cream, caramel and hot fudge sauce, salted pecans, and dusted with Ovaltine.  But if you want a different dessert, try the Peach-Basil Topping.

I think that for me, the peach/basil combination would work better in an infused water.

Thanks for cooking with me,

–rebecca