Asparagus Gazpacho Food

BEST GAZPACHO

Steps:

• Combine tomatoes, pepper, cucumber, onion and garlic in a blender or, if using a hand blender, in a deep bowl. (If necessary, work in batches.) Blend at high speed until very smooth, at least 2 minutes, pausing occasionally to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula.
• With the motor running, add the vinegar and 2 teaspoons salt. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil. The mixture will turn bright orange or dark pink and become smooth and emulsified, like a salad dressing. If it still seems watery, drizzle in more olive oil until texture is creamy.
• Strain the mixture through a strainer or a food mill, pushing all the liquid through with a spatula or the back of a ladle. Discard the solids. Transfer to a large pitcher (preferably glass) and chill until very cold, at least 6 hours or overnight.
• Before serving, adjust the seasonings with salt and vinegar. If soup is very thick, stir in a few tablespoons ice water. Serve in glasses, over ice if desired, or in a bowl. A few drops of olive oil on top are a nice touch.

GRILLED ASPARAGUS WITH GAZPACHO VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Cut cucumber into pieces and place in a food processor blender; add tomatoes, shallots, lemon juice, tomato juice, parsley, garlic and green onion tops. Pulse to purée. Transfer to a bowl; season with Tabasco, salt and pepper.
• To finish the vinaigrette, for each cup of gazpacho, add the juice of one lemon and 1 cup extra virgin olive oil; blend using a had blender until thickened and frothy.
• For the croutons, dip cubed eggplant in milk, then dredge in semolina. In a deep fryer, heat oil to 375 degrees; fry eggplant until lightly browned. Drain on paper towel. Season immediately with salt.
• Trim, peel and blanch(place in boiling water 1 minute) the asparagus, or cook till desired doneness; toss with oil. Season with salt and pepper. Place in the center of the plate. Ladle 3 tablespoons gazpacho vinaigrette over the asparagus. Garnish with cucumber, tomato, celery, red onion, parsley and eggplant croutons.

GAZPACHO

Steps:

• Roughly chop the cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, and red onions into 1-inch cubes. Put each vegetable separately into a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until it is coarsely chopped. Do not overprocess!
• After each vegetable is processed, combine them in a large bowl and add the garlic, tomato juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well and chill before serving. The longer gazpacho sits, the more the flavors develop.

ASPARAGUS GAZPACHO

Steps:

• Cook 1/2 bunch trimmed asparagus in salted boiling water until bright green, 2 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool, then roughly chop. Puree in a blender with 1 chopped small green bell pepper, 1/2 chopped large seedless cucumber, 1/2 jalapeno, 1 garlic clove, 1/2 cup fresh basil, 1 cup diced country bread (crusts removed), 1/4 cup each water, olive oil and fresh parsley and 2 tablespoons rice vinegar; thin with water if needed. Season with salt. Chill until cold.

GAZPACHO

Steps:

• For the soup:
• Soak the bread, in a medium bowl of water to soften, about 15 to 20 minutes. Squeeze out the excess water and place in a large bowl. Coarsely chop the tomatoes, 2/3 of the cucumber, 1/2 the onion, and 1/2 the pepper and add to the bread. Add the garlic, season with salt, and drizzle with olive oil. Mix to combine and let sit for about 20 to 30 minutes to allow the flavors to marry and to let the salt pull some moisture out of the tomatoes.
• Meanwhile, for the garnish, dice the remaining cucumber, onion and green pepper into perfect 1/4-inch dice and reserve.
• Working in batches, puree the tomato/bread mixture in a blender with the vinegar. Blend in tomato juice to loosen the mixture, if needed. Remove soup to a large bowl and stir in about 1/2 cup of high quality olive oil. Taste for salt and add more, if needed.
• Chill. Serve cold garnished with the diced cucumber, pepper and onion. Drizzle with a little more olive oil, if desired.
• How refreshing!

GAZPACHO

Steps:

• Fill a 6-quart pot halfway full of water, set over high heat and bring to a boil.
• Make an X with a paring knife on the bottom of the tomatoes. Drop the tomatoes into the boiling water for 15 seconds, remove and transfer to an ice bath and allow to cool until able to handle, approximately 1 minute. Remove and pat dry. Peel, core and seed the tomatoes. When seeding the tomatoes, place the seeds and pulp into a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl in order to catch the juice. Press as much of the juice through as possible and then add enough bottled tomato juice to bring the total to 1 cup.
• Place the tomatoes and juice into a large mixing bowl. Add the cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, jalapeno, garlic clove, olive oil, lime juice, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire, cumin, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Transfer 1 1/2 cups of the mixture to a blender and puree for 15 to 20 seconds on high speed. Return the pureed mixture to the bowl and stir to combine. Cover and chill for 2 hours and up to overnight. Serve with chiffonade of basil.

CREAM OF ASPARAGUS SOUP WITH COCONUT MILK

Steps:

• For the soup: Place a large pot over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the onions, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 minutes. Stir in the asparagus and cook for 1 minute.
• Pound the lemongrass with a meat mallet or rolling pin until well bruised (to release the flavor). Stir in the broth and lemongrass and simmer until the asparagus is tender, about 10 minutes. Discard the lemongrass and stir in the parsley.
• Turn off the heat and puree the soup with an immersion blender. Stir in the coconut milk and peas and cook over medium heat until warmed through, 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, garnish with fresh lemon zest and the Asparagus Salsa if desired just before serving.
• For the asparagus salsa: Place the asparagus, carrots, radishes and red onions in a food processor and pulse a few times until the vegetables are finely diced but not pureed.
• Transfer to a large bowl and add the dill, scallions, serrano chile, lemon zest and juice. Mix together well, season to taste with salt and pepper and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the flavors to develop if time allows. The salsa can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Makes 2 cups.