Fresh Gazpacho

Fresh Homemade Gazpacho

There is nothing better than finding a great farmers market while traveling. The place is filled with fresh local organic produce if you are lucky. A few more stalls down and you might even find some fresh crusty bread. For Ginny and me there is nothing like garden-fresh cool Gazpacho with a dollop of sour cream on a hot summer nite of camping. Add crab cakes to the mix and you have a perfect dinner combination.

Cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, fresh basil, and green peppers will be on your priority list for this recipe. For the sake of RV travel quickness, the time I quote is for the Gazpacho only. I have included the complete recipe as we prepare it at home. We make fresh croutons to top the Gazpacho off, I would add at least an additional 25 mins to the prep. Your cook time will be approximately 15mins more. This typically is not practical on an RV. Store-bought or make-ahead prior to travel are just fine.

The Italian vinaigrette dressing I would highly recommend you make from scratch. It is a delicious blend of herbs and spices. You can substitute your favorite bottled Italian vinaigrette to make this even easier to assemble on your rig

Gazpacho

Chef Larry Of Kruse And Muer

Those of you who grew up near Detroit, you should be very familiar with Kruze and Muer restaurants. The recipe below is a top to bottom look at this classic soup we all enjoyed. It will also include Chef Larry's Crouton's, Italian Vinaigrette and his Blessing recipe.

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Prep Time 35 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Course Soup

Cuisine Italian

Servings 8 people

Equipment

• Blender

Ingredients

  

GAZPACHO:

• 1/2 green pepper finely diced
• 1 large cucumber peeled, seeded, and finely diced (¼” cubes)
• 1 piece pimiento finely diced OR 2 oz. Jar diced pimiento, drained
• 1/2 large onion finely diced
• 3 tbsp. parsley finely chopped
• 2 tbsp. basil finely chopped
• 1 large clove garlic minced
• 1 cup Italian vinaigrette dressing(see below a good quality bottled Italian dressing
• 6 large tomatoes peeled and seeded, OR a 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes
• 1 cup tomato juice we use 2 12oz cans of V8 to give it more liquid
• salt & pepper to taste
• garnish with a dollop of sour cream & a few croutons

ITALIAN VINAIGRETTE DRESSING

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. vegetable oil
• 3 tbsp. white wine vinegar
• 1/4 tsp. dried basil
• 1/4 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp. garlic minced
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• A dash of ground cumin

BLESSING aka Olive Oil Marinade:

• 1 large garlic clove peeled
• 1 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons dried basil
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

CROUTONS:

• 4 ½ cups of ½” bread cubes
• 1/4 cup of Chef Larry’s Blessing

Instructions

 

GAZPACHO -

• Combine cucumber, green pepper, pimiento, & onion in a large bowl with parsley, basil & garlic.
• Mix in Italian vinaigrette dressing(see below)
• Coarsely chop tomatoes and add to soup with tomato juice (or V8)
• Season with salt and pepper to taste
• Chill until ready to serve
• Serve in bowl garnished with a dollop of sour cream and a few croutons

ITALIAN Vinaigrette Dressing- Yield: 1 cup

• In a bowl, whisk all ingredients together. Refrigerate.

HOMEMADE CROUTONS w/Chef Larry’s Blessing aka Olive Oil Marinade

BLESSING aka Olive Oil Marinade Yield: 1¼ cups of blessing

• In blender, emulsify garlic and olive oil.
• Add spices, then turn blender on and off intermittently to mix thoroughly.
• Store covered at room temperature until ready to use.
• **"Blessing" will keep for about 1 week. Use blessing to: Baste grilled veggies, Toss with salad greens & croutons, Marinate meats, fish or fowl before grilling.

CROUTONS Yield: 4 cups

• Spread bread cubes on a baking sheet & drizzle with blessing.
  
• Toast in 350F oven until golden brown.
• Cool and store in airtight container until ready to use.

Keyword Basil, Cucumber, onion, Pepper, Tomato