After a slow start our garden is in full production now – fueled by fresh potting soil in our new raised planter beds. We have nine plants with 1-3 tomatoes being picked per day and I’m starting to run out of ideas for what to do with all this fruit. We do Caprese in every presentation we can think of. Bruschetta in various forms, BLTs, additions to salads… Overripe (or near it) fruit goes into Ziplocs and into the freezer to make sauce later in the season.
Gazpacho. Fill your blender about 3/4 full of cut up tomatoes, add half to a whole green pepper, 2-3 cloves garlic, half to a whole peeled cucumber (I seed mine too), a good glug of sherry vinegar and puree it. When it’s almost done, pour in olive oil while it’s whirring (you can also do it without the oil, but purists will scoff at you). Strain it to remove seeds, etc. Chill it in the fridge or in a metal bowl in a sink of cool water if you’re in a hurry. We eat bowls of the stuff and will eat a blender full in an evening. It’s also a good use for super ripe tomatoes.
My system is just coming online. We had cool weather into the middle of June so things didn’t really take off until July. I have 17 plants comprising Black Krim, Sungold, Purple Cherokee, Lillians Yellow, Pink Brandywine, German Green, and a propagated Russian strain. I will be harvesting in bulk next week.
So far I have been sticking to salads and salsas since I haven’t had a lot of product. I will shift gears when the big stuff starts coming in and go to pizza margherita, pans full of roasted tomato for sauces and seafood (I freeze the paste containing only evoo, thyme, salt), GAZPACHO!!!, caprese for sure (you cannot beat caprese with black krim, it is unreal), homemade pizza sauce, pico de gallo, charred tomatoes for egg sandwiches , grilled seafood, and roasted salsa experiments. Then I will jar a bunch for winter so I can cut down on the San Marzano expenditures.
Rachel I am a big fan of gazpacho as noted in the CAPS above. I really believe there are two elements that can really elevate the fundamental recipe you provided; herbs and zest. I like gazpacho to be complete where it has a start, mid palate, and finish. These will help with that. I tend towards combinations of parsley and cilantro, and I typically go with lemon zest although lime could work just as well depending. I also am a firm believer that a high quality jalapeño that is sweet and not very hot can be an excellent addition because the spice is imperceptible but it augments the green pepper.
Kenny, I’m a purist when it comes to gazpacho. I grow all the vegetables I use for it and don’t think it needs herbs, citrus, or hot peppers. I think if you have great tomatoes, garlic, cucumber and peppers, you don’t need anything else. To me it’s a dish where less is more. Add too many things and you lose the purity of flavor.
Completely understand your point. I enjoy the structure the additions provide on the palate, with a bit more complexity. There needn’t be a lot. Subtlety is the word when it comes to the 'pacho.
Agreed. I sometimes add about 20% canned tomato juice just because I like it a bit thinner as a personal preference. I know that’s heresy, but it’s 80% pure and let’s me chill it faster.
Thanks - looks like Gazpacho will be on the menu this weekend! I assume that a large batch could be produced and meal size portions frozen with the help of a Food Saver?
Joe - yeah, I need to get back on that horse. My attempts in the past have been so-so, and we have incredible Mexican food options just blocks away - restaurants and little corner stores that make fresh salsa.
Mike, I’ve never frozen gazpacho so it’d be new territory for me. Honestly, even if I make a double batch, we almost always finish it that day. I don’t think it’s ever lasted more than 24 hours.