I am often amazed at the number of dishes that are now considered “elegant” or “gourmet” that originated as peasant food.
To my way of thinking, one of the best examples of peasant food becoming a darling on restaurant menus is polenta – essentially cornmeal mush – that served as sustenance for poor Romans and later Italians.
In this protracted recession, many chefs and restaurateurs use these types of foods in addition to having discovered gold in cheaper cuts of meat – stews and roasts that otherwise may never have made it onto their menus.
But as I researched this subject, I discovered that one of summer’s best treats originated as a basic meal for peasant workers in the olive groves of Spain: Gazpacho.
Gazpacho is basically a liquid salad that most likely originated in the southern Spanish region of Andalusia. Traditionally it is made from ripe tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, garlic, and stale bread moistened with water that is blended with olive oil, vinegar, and ice water and served cold.
This delicious dish probably developed during the Middle Ages when the Moors controlled Spain. But since tomatoes were not generally used as food (they were thought to be poisonous) until after the Columbian voyages to the New World, the primary ingredient was almonds. It’s just hard to imagine this dish being based on a nut rather than rich red tomatoes. There are other Spanish gazpachos using mayonnaise and grapes, too.
More commonly, though, you will see Spanish chefs make gazpacho starting in a mortar with week-old bread, which is then pounded with a vegetable mixture until it becomes a paste. It is at this point that the tomatoes are added, along with olive oil, and finally red wine vinegar. I like my gazpacho on the spicy side, so I will frequently add either hot sauce or use hot peppers among the vegetables. The tomatoes should always go through a sieve or food mill so there are no seeds in the finished dish. Some chefs enrich their gazpachos with tomato juice or a well-known vegetable juice drink.
Here’s my version of gazpacho: half a small red onion, chopped; 2 cloves of garlic, minced; 3 Tbsp. olive oil; 1/4 cup red wine vinegar; 2 pounds ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped; a large cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped; a medium green bell pepper, seeded and chopped; 2 Tbsp. tomato paste; two 6-ounce cans of tomato juice; 1/3 cup of fresh cilantro, Tabasco sauce; and crispy garlic croutons. Reserve some tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers to add later. Puree the garlic and red onion in a food processor with olive oil and red wine vinegar. To the processor mixture, add cilantro, tomato paste, and remaining tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper. Blend until a chunky puree forms, but don’t over process. Season to taste with Tabasco sauce, salt and pepper. Thin with tomato juice and transfer to a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for several hours to allow the flavors to blend. Serve with croutons and the reserved vegetables.
I also make a variation called Pineapple and Bell Pepper Gazpacho. It’s also made in a food processor with 2 cups of pineapple chunks, 3/4 cup each of red and yellow bell peppers, a seeded jalapeño pepper, a cup of pineapple juice, half a chopped red onion, a peeled and seeded cucumber and a few tablespoons of Italian (flat leaf) parsley.
For a smooth soup, puree all ingredients in the food processor or a blender until desired texture is achieved. If you like it chunky style, then just do a few pulses in the food processor to retain the character of the fruit and vegetables. Transfer to a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours and up to 6 hours. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Garnish with additional diced bell peppers of varied colors and seeded cucumber.
As your tomato, cucumber and pepper plants grow, envision the produce as a liquid salad. What a tasty summer it will be.