Kids & Company Blog

A Chilly Summer Dish!

Cooking is like my wardrobe. With every new season, my style changes to reflect the weather or mood of the season. With cooking, I like to do the exact same thing.

Since summer is now in full force, I like to change up my recipes to reflect the times. Summer dishes should be light and refreshing. They should also cool you down during a hot summer day. Luckily, I have found a great summer dish that fits all of these requirements.

In this week’s blog, I want to talk about Gazpacho, the king of all summer soups. Created in Sevilla, Spain, this soup is a staple of Spanish cuisine. Gazpacho soup is best served icy cold, and it’s perfect for children of all ages (no parent will ever have to worry about dangerously hot soup spills with this Spanish dish). Even better, Gazpacho is extremely healthy and easy to make! The soup is loaded with a ton of vegetables, which makes it a perfect dish for you and your entire family.

The gazpacho recipe is taken from Fine Cooking, a cooking magazine with many great tips and recipes. If you do get a chance to try out the recipe, please let me know! You can even tweet us your feedback @KidcoKitchen.

 

Cheers,

 

Chef Lisa Ruscica

Chief Food Ambassador

 

Fine Cooking Gazpacho Recipe (serves 4 or 5)

What you need:

• 1¾ ripe tomatoes, cored and coarsely chopped (about 4 cups)
• ½ medium green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and coarsely chopped (¾ cup)
• ½ small red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and coarsely chopped (½ cup)
• ¼ cup packed torn fresh bread (ex: soft baguette, sandwich bread etc)
• ¼ cup packed 1/2 –inch cubes (crusts removed) for croutons
• 9 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp. sherry vinegar
• 1 small clove garlic
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 or 2 pinches of ground cumin
• 1 tbs. chopped fresh cilantro

 

What to do:

1. Put tomatoes, bell peppers, torn bread, 6 tbs. of olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, and cumin in a blender
2. Pulse until coarsely puréed, then blend until very smooth, 4 to 5 minutes
3. Season to taste with salt (optional)
4. Refrigerate until very cold, at least 1 hour and up to 2 days
5. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 3 tbs. olive oil in an 8-inch skillet over medium heat
6. Add a bread cube; if it sizzles immediately, add the remaining cubes (if it doesn’t, continue to heat the oil)
7. Cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown all over, about 1 minute
8. Transfer the croutons to paper towels to drain and cool
9. Taste the gazpacho just before serving and adjust the seasoning as needed
10. Serve drizzled with oil and garnished with the croutons and cilantro

Posted on: Wednesday July 3rd, 2013

Posted by: Lisa Ruscica