Gazpacho

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     It's been hot.  It's been humid.  Things have been hectic with only a few (now only a couple) weeks of school left, gulp, before graduation.  Impending papers, presentations, and assignments are hanging over my head and starting to feel overwhelming. 
     This post comes courtesy of the weather in conjunction with a project for my Food Photography and Styling class.  With temperatures soaring above 95F and an ever-expanding list of schoolwork to do I haven't been turning to the oven or stove much lately.  With a looming deadline for a photo assignment wherein I was tasked with telling the process of a recipe in pictures, I was agonizing over what to prepare...
     Raspberry Crumb Cake?  Pizza?  Either would be great if I didn't feel like I was in that episode of The Twilight Zone where the earth is moving closer to the sun (I will refrain from spoilers even though the episode aired about fifty-seven years ago, you're welcome).   
     Then came the idea for making a granita, and that would have been great if I wasn't horrified by the prospect of showing it in my freezer, which is currently, and has been for quite some time now, at capacity.  Sure, I could have used this as an opportunity to clean it out, but that'll have to stay on my list for another day, because I was struck with another idea...gazpacho!  It's cold, doesn't require much work aside from washing, blending and straining, and I was really getting inspired by the chance to play around with photographing some complementary colors.   
  After checking out some recipes I decided I needed to make a trip to the store for ingredients and decided upon the one that carries our favorite baguettes.  Being fully aware that it may be an exercise in futility, as it was already late afternoon and they tend to sell out before then, I decided that the acquisition of a baguette was my prime directive.  Well, as soon as I passed through the doors it was as if my memory was wiped clean because I quickly became distracted by summer fruits, and making note of which tomatoes I should buy.  Finally, I came to my senses and darted over, cart and all, to where the baguettes live, all the while hearing the music from The Wizard of Oz that plays while the Wicked Witch is riding her bike.  Akin to finding a pair of ruby slippers, upon my arrival I found that there were two (!) baguettes left, and that surely this was my lucky day.  I was only going to take one, until I remembered that between Ryan, Brutus, and I, it surely would not last the night.  And what if one of them photographed better than the other?  I felt a little greedy, but decided to buy both of them, and wheeled my blessed cart away.  
     I quickly procured the remainder of ingredients, found an empty checkout lane, and unloaded everything onto the belt, when a voice from behind me stated in a low, accusatory tone "I see you got the last of the baguettes."
     "Yeah..." I trailed off.  
     "I guess I have to try this one, I've never had it before, I hope it's good."  She said, sounding partially defeated and partially annoyed as she placed her second-choice baguette down with her items.  
     "Those are good, I've had them, the crust is a little chewier, but they're good."  I said, trying to reassure her.
     "Oh good then, wanna trade?"  She said as she gestured towards my baguettes, which at this point in the guilt trip had been paid for and bagged.  "I'm just kidding."  She said, before imploring the cashier to ask if their were any more in the back of the store somewhere, and why don't they stock more of them? 
     "Ha, ha...ha..."  I managed to uncomfortably force out some laughter as I gathered my things and hustled out of the store feeling a bit guilty, but also feeling like if I didn't hurry that lady might use her scorned baguette to club me in the parking lot.  Cue the Wicked Witch bicycle music!    
​Recipe inspired by and adapted from:
cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017577-best-gazpacho and www.bonappetit.com/recipe/summer-gazpacho)

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Gazpacho
Yield:  ​Approximately 2 quarts

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds ripe tomatoes, quartered
• 1 Cubanelle pepper, halved, seeded, and cut into approximately half inch chunks

          *It's not pictured, but I happened to have 1/2 red bell pepper on hand that I added last minute

• 1 Cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into approximately half inch chunks

          *If desired, part of the cucumber can be brunoised (cut into 1/8" dice) for garnish, as pictured      
           below

• 1 Yellow onion, peeled, halved, and cut into approximately half inch chunks
• 2 Garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 Tablespoons sherry vinegar
• 1/3 Cup extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste​

Suggestions for Garnish: Red onion, cucumber, chives, cherry tomatoes

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Method:

1. Wash and prepare the vegetables.
2. Add all ingredients to a blender, cover with the lid, and blend until smooth, starting with the lowest setting and gradually turning it to high (hold on to your lids!) approximately two minutes.  
3. Pour gazpacho through a strainer into a bowl.  Now you have a choice to make, as most recipes don't make use of the solids left in the strainer, but I just couldn't bear to waste, so I reserved it and have been using it as a dip for tortilla chips, and it's quite tasty.  So let your conscious be your guide.  
4. Once you've passed this moral quandary, taste the gazpacho to check for seasoning, and adjust as needed. 
5. Cover the bowl your gazpacho is in and chill it until ready to serve.  

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