Eating (And Washing) With Tomatoes In NJ

By
Lisa Howard-Fusco
– September 20, 2009Posted in: Recipes





In honor of the near-closing of the tomato season , I wanted to take a minute,share a recipe, and do a brief (and rare, for us)”product review”. But first, gazpacho!

Now let me clarify something. I used to think gazpacho was originally Mexican. I also believed it was just a cold tomato soup with veggies, spiced with chiles. Then I had my first almuerzo (lunch) in Spain at the Hotel Alfonso VIII in Plasencia, Spain, ordered the “Gazpacho Andaluz” and was blown away. First, it was peachy-pink, not red. Secondly, there was a tomato base to it, and no jalapenos (or any peppers, for that matter) . In fact, the only “chunks” in the soup were those that came as accompaniments that you put in yourself: cucumber, hard-boiled egg, or homemade croutons toasted in garlic and olive oil. I could not stop eating it. After I got back to the U.S., I happened to be watching Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown and watched as Pina, the heroine, poured a pitcher of the stuff and drank a glass as a snack. Wow! It was so good, it could be a beverage! That did it. I hunted high and low for a “real” gazpacho recipe: and found out there are many variations (one even included almonds as a base). But the recipe that remains my favorite is Gazpacho Andaluz- nothing more than a cold broth made of stale bread, olive oil, garlic, and, of course, tomatoes. As this simple soup is only as good as the quality of the ingredients that go into it, I only prepare it in late summer to early autumn, to celebrate the annual legend that is the Jersey tomato. Here it is:

Gazpacho Andaluz
4 ounces of good, day-old bread (no Wonder Bread please!), crust cut off, cut into 2 1/2″ cubes
1 1/2 cups of water
2 cloves of garlic
2 lbs. (about 5-6 medium) ripe tomatoes, peeled and seeded
1/4 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. salt
1/3 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
Garnishes: chopped green pepper, onion, cucumber, tomatoes, croutons, or hard-boiled egg
Place bread in a bowl and add water to cover. Let soak for 5 minutes until softened. Squeeze out water, and place bread into a blender or food processor with the garlic. Blend bread and garlic into a smooth paste. To prepare tomatoes: bring a large pot of water to a boil, then shut off. Place tomatoes in for 2 minutes, then remove to a bowl of cold water to cool. Peel tomatoes and cut out stem and core. Spoon out the seeds. Add the tomato pulp to the bread and garlic and puree until smooth. Add cumin and salt and puree again. With motor running, add olive oil in a thin, slow, steady stream (as it incorporates, the mixture will turn from red to a pale peach color). Blend in vinegar. If desired, thin the gazpacho to the preferred consistency. Chill until serving time, passing garnishes at the table. Makes 4 servings.

Michele, one of our fellow food bloggers of “Life, Lightly Salted” has gotten into the soap business. FunkyChunks is the name of her line of homemade soaps, but I had to write about the bar of “Jersey Love” soap she sent to us. No kidding- it is scented with tomatoes. It also contains olive fruit oil, and I was starting to wonder if I should add a bit of basil and take a bite…I’ll admit, I was a leery at first, but it captured the more floral tomato-ey scent of the plant, and I did not come away smelling like a pot of gravy (that’s “Spaghetti Sauce” for you non-Eye-talyun types). Now I’ve heard that you can wash with tomato juice to get rid of strong odors such as skunk spray, so I’m wondering: would washing with this stuff have the same effect, having been made with the real thing? The packaging is really cool: a homage to Roy Lichtenstein’s famous “comic book” art. A moony-looking woman printed in primary colors asks desperately, “I wonder if I should have shown him my heirlooms?” Check out her site for her whole line of crazy-cool soaps.
Now-get to your local farmer’s market and enjoy the last of those Jersey beauties!

-Lisa

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About Lisa Howard-Fusco

Lisa is John's partner-in-crime in all things (including this website), and a freelance writer. She now finds it safer to use her 10 years of New York publishing and film experience to yammer on about her culinary obsessions, instead of accosting people on street corners. Her articles and reviews have appeared in publications such as the South Jersey Magazine and Edible Jersey, as well as several websites. Her early journey into foodie-dom began in her grandmother's kitchen, rolling meatballs at the tender age of two. By the age of six, she was happily consuming eel and clams while other kids whined for mac and cheese. At ten, she asked to celebrate her birthday in an upscale restaurant. In college, she further complicated matters by becoming a sometimes-belligerent craft brew fan. Although she has mellowed with age, Lisa has been known to commit acts of violence when everyone assumes the homebrew was made by John. When not writing or wrangling their two adorable children, she is on an eternal quest for a quiet room to lock herself in, just for 5 minutes. Lisa's great hope is to someday master the art of cooking okra.