Gazpacho / Gaspacho!

This is ostensibly a blog about French cuisine, so you may be wondering what I'm doing featuring what may be THE most well-known Spanish dish. Well, despite what some French politicians would have you believe (ahem, Brice Hortefeux, ahem), France is very much a product of immigration. Especially here in the south, the culinary culture shows heavy Italian, Spanish, and North African influences. And my mother-in-law's family originally comes from Andalucia, the birthplace of gazpacho -- so we'll say this post goes out to her. In any case, gazpacho has somewhat questionable origins: some say it came to the Iberian peninsula with the Moors in the 8th century as a bread-and-olive-oil soup; others say it was originally Roman. Whatever its roots, today gazpacho is thought of as authentically Andalucian and is wildly popular here in France.

My husband, Sébastien, is a huge fan of gazpacho. As soon as the temperatures rise above freezing, he starts begging me to make a batch. (And considering we live in the south of France, that's about 11.5 months out of the year.) Although there are a number of competing recipes, most have in common the basic ingredients: fresh, ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, olive oil, onions, and garlic. Some recipes will add in bell peppers, hot peppers, bread, and tabasco -- it's all a question of taste. What I'm posting here is my personal favorite (and Seb's favorite!), though I'll try to add a few ideas for modifications at the end. The best part about this soup is that it requires no cooking whatsoever - save a bit of boiling water for removing the tomato skins - so it's ideal for those days so hot you can't even bear thinking of turning on the oven.

Gazpacho

Serves 4-6

6 ripe tomatoes

1 cucumber

1 small onion

1 clove garlic

4 drops Tabasco

1/4 cup olive oil

2 Tbsp. sherry vinegar (or red wine vinegar)

Salt and pepper

Peel the tomatoes (using the method described here) and remove their seeds. The easiest way to do this is to cut the tomatoes in half, gently squeeze each half, and scrape away the seeds that come out. Then cut the tomatoes into small chunks. Peel and cut the cucumber into small chunks as well, followed by the onion and the garlic. Put all the vegetables into the bowl of a blender and add the liquid ingredients: Tabasco, oil, and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper, cover, and blend until smooth. Transfer the gazpacho into a large bowl and refrigerate until very cold. Serve the same day, if possible.

This is my go-to gazpacho recipe; it's quick, it's refreshing, and most importantly, it's simple! The one drawback of the blender is that it sometimes leaves you with a soup that's a bit frothy; this can be remedied by mixing your gazpacho with a mortar and pestle (the old-fashioned way) - but let's just say that it's not quite as speedy as this recipe. For a creamier result, add a slice or two of white bread (crusts cut off) that you've let soak in the vinegar and olive oil for a quarter hour or so. If you're a big fan of bell peppers, feel free to add one - just don't forget to remove the skin beforehand. I like to serve this in tiny cups during cocktail parties or as and hors-d'oeuvre, but it also makes a great appetizer or even a main dish. Bon appetit!