Category Archives: Vegetarian

SPICY GAZPACHO

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I found these vintage seed labels at simplyfrenchvintage several years ago.  I bought some, thinking I might use them for . . .  I have no idea.  Craft fail.

You won’t find many of these vegetables at our local farmers markets this time of year. Last week’s “seasonal selections” at the farmers market were eggplant, peas, cucumbers, peppers, basil, okra, melons, and onions.

This week it’s been over 100 degrees here.  It’s hot.  We haven’t had much rain, but Houston has a faint yellow haze these days from a sand storm in the Sahara Desert.  It’s definitely too hot to cook.  Maybe even too hot to chew.

It’s days like this when a cold spicy gazpacho is splendid.  What’s more, with the exception of the tomatoes, the key ingredients can still be found at the farmers market:

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 Tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, red bell peppers

Inspired by the pretty vintage labels and the dog days of summer, I hunted around for a long time for a gazpacho recipe.  I don’t care for the ones that rely on tomato juice as a base.  The liquid in this recipe, adapted from one by Lynette Hawkins of Giacomo’s, uses the liquid that comes from macerating the vegetables.  It’s worth hunting down sherry vinegar, as it really adds to the flavor of the soup.  This gazpacho is icy cold and spicy and smooth and so good on a hot summer evening.  If you can’t stand the heat . . . make gazpacho!

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SPICY GAZPACHO
 
Ingredients
  • 3 pounds ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped
  • 1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped
  • 1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and coarsely chopped
  • 1 medium red onion, coarsely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
  • 1 serrano chile, seeded and coarsely chopped
  • 2-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2 slices white bread, crusts removed, torn into small pieces
  • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
  1. Place the tomatoes, cucumbers, red bell peppers, onion, garlic, and serrano chile in a 4-quart container. Add 2-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt and toss to combine. Add the bread pieces and toss again. Allow ingredients to macerate at least 30 minutes.
  2. Puree the tomato mixture in a blender in two batches. For each batch, blend for 30 seconds, then drizzle in ¼ cup olive oil with motor running. Blend until completely smooth, then transfer each batch to a 4-quart container. Stir in vinegar, black pepper, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Taste and add additional salt and pepper, if necessary, to taste. Chill completely in refrigerator, and serve cold.

STONE FRUIT GALETTE

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I found this “stone” fruit at an estate sale.  It’s either an agate or marble peach.  In an effort to make it look more realistic, someone glued a real peach pit in it:

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Eww

Peaches are categorized as either cling or freestone, referring to the relationship the pit has with the surrounding flesh.  With cling peaches, the peach flesh adheres strongly, (i.e., “clings”) to the pit, and usually has to be cut away.  With freestone peaches, the flesh is loosely attached to the stone and is easily removed.  The peach above appears to be a freestone (or gluedstone, as the case may be).

In the course of my research, I also learned that freestone peaches tend to be more colorful and flavorful than cling peaches.  Freestone peaches tend to have a higher water content than cling peaches, and thus, tend to be juicier.  Because cling peaches contain less moisture, they are favored for canning.  I always wondered why the label on the canned peaches read “cling peaches,” and now I know.  Yep, another step closer to being Cliff Clavin.

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016 (2)When I was a kid, on school days my Mom used to prepare breakfast the night before, in order to save time in the mornings.  One of my least favorite make-ahead breakfasts in her rotation was cottage cheese with canned peaches, covered with plastic wrap, like maybe we were dining at Luby’s.  When I would peel the plastic wrap off, everything would kind of “cling” to it, and it was always my private little joke that that is how cling peaches got their name.  It was either that or cry.

Inspired by the “stone” fruit and thankful that fresh freestone peaches are in season, I made a peach galette.  This is a quick and easy dessert, great served warm with ice cream, but perfectly delicious on its own.  To keep it simple, I use refrigerated pie crusts. Depending on what looks best at the market, you can also use plums, nectarines, or apricots.

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STONE FRUIT GALETTE
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Recipe type: Dessert
 
Ingredients
  • 1 9-inch unbaked pie crust
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 5 tablespoons sugar, divided use
  • 2-3 large peaches or plums, halved, pitted, and sliced into ¼" slices (peeled if desired)*
  • 1 tablespoon coarse or sparkling sugar (optional)
  • *To easily peel peaches, cut a large X--not too deep--in the bottom of the peach. Drop the peach into a pot of boiling water for 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, remove the peach and peel under cold running water.
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place pie crust on a large baking sheet. Stir together flour and 2 tablespoons of sugar, and sprinkle evenly over dough, leaving a 1" border. Arrange fruit slices decoratively in a single layer on top of flour mixture. Sprinkle fruit with remaining 3 tablespoons sugar (if fruit is very sweet, decrease amount of sugar as desired). Fold in edge of dough to cover outer rim of fruit, pleating dough as necessary.
  2. Cover galette loosely with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until crust is golden, fruit is tender, and juices are bubbling, approximately 5 minutes more. Transfer galette on baking sheet to a rack and immediately brush hot juices over plums with a pastry brush. Allow to cool at least 30 minutes. Sprinkle with coarse sugar, if using. Cut into wedges, and serve.

 

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Cut a large X in the bottom of the peach

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Place peach in boiling water for 30 seconds, remove

with slotted spoon, and peel under cold running water.

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 Spoke-like!

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Fold over edges, pleating as necessary

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 Baked to golden, juicy deliciousness

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 Hey — where’s the ice cream?  And the mint leaf garnish?

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 Plums make for a gorgeous galette