Because I mocked my husband’s blending obsession in my last column — right before Yom Kippur — this week I’m atoning with a puréed soup.
There is something magical about tossing a bunch of produce in a machine, cajoling a whiny child to press blend and watching dinner whip itself into a frenzy.
And here’s a little spark of wisdom: Make the Golden Autumn Gazpacho recipe on the weekend when you have some time to breathe, freeze it in ice cube trays and reblend it like a slushy before a future dinner.
Not too psyched about a dinner consisting solely of soup? Serve a bowl alongside some easy bruschetta. These are what I like to call concept recipes. You can make them to your own personal taste, to feed one, two or a dozen (just multiply the ingredients given below). And both recipes go beautifully with the gazpacho.
Golden Autumn Gazpacho
Serves 2 (plus leftovers to serve 4)
1 yellow bell pepper
1 pint yellow pear tomatoes
1 bunch scallions, white parts only
1⁄2 English cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 Tbs. toasted (and cooled) pine nuts
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. sherry vinegar
2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
1⁄2 tsp. coarse kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 cup water
fresh thyme sprigs for garnish
To reconstitute frozen soup:
1⁄2 cup carrot juice
1⁄2–2⁄3 cup water
1 to 2 Tbs. sherry vinegar
Remove seeds and veins from yellow pepper and coarsely chop. In a blender, combine pepper, tomatoes, scallions, cucumber, corn kernels, toasted pine nuts, olive oil, sherry vinegar, thyme, salt, pepper and water. Purée until smooth. Spoon gazpacho as desired into bowls to eat right away. Garnish with thyme sprigs. Pour remaining gazpacho into 2 ice cube trays. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Freeze.
When ready to serve, crack contents of 1 tray (12 gazpacho cubes serve 2) into a blender. Add carrot juice and water (just enough to blend smoothly — don’t overwater) and sherry vinegar to taste. Blend and serve.
Bruschetta with Tapenade and Roasted Reds
Serves 6-8
1 baguette, cut in 1⁄2-inch-thick slices (about 30 slices)
1⁄4 cup olive oil
2⁄3 cup olive tapenade
12 ozs. fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced thin
8 oz. jar roasted red bell peppers, cut in very thin strips
parsley (optional)
Preheat oven to 400 or use toaster oven. Place baguette in bowl large enough to accommodate all bread slices. Drizzle with olive oil, and toss so each slice has at least a touch of olive oil. Arrange in single layer on sheet tray and toast to medium in the toaster oven, or bake close to heat source in the big oven until golden, about 4-5 minutes. Spread a thin layer of tapenade, about 1 scant tsp., over each slice of toasted baguette. Top with mozzarella cheese, and then cross 2 thin strips of bell pepper over cheese to make an X. Garnish with parsley if feeling fancy.
Bruschetta with Fresh Tomatoes and Manchego
Serves 6-8
1 baguette, cut in 1⁄2-inch-thick slices (about 30 slices)
1⁄4 cup olive oil
2 pints cherry tomatoes, cut in quarters
1 tsp. minced garlic
2 Tbs. fresh tarragon leaves
salt and pepper
8 ozs. Manchego cheese, thinly sliced
Preheat oven to 400 or use toaster oven. Place baguette in bowl large enough to accommodate all bread slices. Drizzle with olive oil, and toss so each slice has at least a touch of olive oil. Arrange in single layer on sheet tray and toast to medium in the toaster oven, or bake close to heat source in the big oven until golden, about 4-5 minutes.
While bread is cooling, combine cherry tomatoes, garlic and tarragon in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste and toss. Layer sliced Manchego cheese over toasted baguette. Top with a generous scoop of tomatoes.
Josie A.G. Shapiro won the 2013 Man-O Manischewitz Cook-Off, is the co-author of “The Lazy Gourmet” and works at the JCC of San Francisco. Her columns alternate with those of Faith Kramer. Her website is www.thechickencontests.com.