Clearly, our diet yesterday had to involve a lot of ice cream and sorbet, but we did manage to work in a cold, soft vegetable course as well with the cucumbers from our CSA box. We had one Armenian cucumber and several round, light colored ones that I think are called apple cucumbers, along with some lemon basil that we still hadn't used in anything.After a little Google detective work, I came across this recipe for gazpacho, toward which I normally feel ambivalent at best, but this version was delicious and surprisingly easy to make. I followed the recipe she gives fairly closely (the "Home Version" one) except that I used less olive oil and a bit less lemon juice, Aleppo pepper instead of cayenne (enough to give it a little kick), and made a lemon basil infusion to drizzle over the top (mince some lemon basil leaves and combine with a bit of olive oil and a pinch of salt, and let sit for a little while before using).
Made this gazpacho as the first course for my mother's birthday dinner last night and everyone loved it. I used 5 Kirby cucumbers (served 5 adults) and white balsamic vinegar (infused with tarragon)instead of white wine vinegar which I didn't have at home. Final product was a cool, minty green color. Easy, pretty, and delicious!
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear it was a success! Another variation that turned out well: Drizzle with a pesto made of pureed basil and olive oil, and sprinkle with Meyer lemon zest.
ReplyDelete