Cold Tomato Soups

It's tomato time! Two cold tomato soup recipes: Gazpacho and Moroccan Tomato Soup.

Here's a tried and true recipe for Gazpacho, adapted from The Silver Palate's original cookbook. It calls for the addition of (raw) eggs. It's your call ... we have the freshest eggs at the market! I have made this both with and without, and it's good either way.

All ingredients you can buy at the Long Beach Farmer's Market are *asterisked*.

The Moroccan Tomato Soup recipe is from July 19, 1009, NY Times - the Magazine. The recipe is from 1991, Barbara Kafka.

Bernadette will be making Gazpacho on the Plaza today at the market today - so come down for a sample of her version of this fabulous cold soup!

Gazpacho

adapted from The Silver Palate Cookbook by Blue Heron Kitchen

Ingredients:

6 large ripe tomatoes*

2 sweet red peppers*

2 medium-size yellow onions*

2 large shallots*

2 large cucumbers* or 4 - 6 Kirby cucumbers*

1/2 c. red wine vinegar

1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 c. canned Sacramento tomato juice

3 eggs*, lightly beaten (optional)

pinch of hot sauce (I ♥ Sriracha!) or cayenne pepper

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/2 c. chopped fresh herbs of your choice - suggestions: cilantro*, parsley*, dill*

Procedure:

1. Wash and prepare vegetables. Core and coarsely chop tomatoes, saving the juice. Core, seed and coarsely chop pepers. Peel and coarsely chop onions and shallots. Peel, seed and coarsely chop cucumbers.

2. In a bowl, whisk vinegar, olive oil, reserved tomato juice, canned tomato juice, and if using, eggs.

3. In a blender or a food processor, fitted with a steel blade, purée the vegetables in small batches, adding tomato juice mixture, as needed, to keep blades from clogging. Do not purée completely! You want some crunch to this experience.

4. Stir in cayenne, salt and pepper to taste. Add chopped herbs. Cover and CHILL FOR AT LEAST 4 HOURS.

5. Correct seasoning and serve into chilled soup bowls or mugs. As garnish, chop up some cucumbers, peppers and other vegetables that are in the soup.

Yield: 8-10 portions

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Moroccan Tomato Soup

NY Times, Barbara Kafka

Ingredients:

5 medium cloves garlic*, smashed, peeled and minced

2 1/2 tsp. sweet paprika

1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin (truc: toast whole cumin seed until they're aromatic in a small cast iron pan, then grind them in a spice grinder. you won't believe the difference and the aroma will make your eyes roll up in your head. i learned this from my friend, Suvir Saran, the amazing chef and owner of dévi)

Large pinch of cayenne pepper (or use Sriracha!)

4 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 1/4 lbs. tomatoes*, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces

1/4 c. packed chopped cilantro* leaves plus additional for garnish

1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar

2 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Kosher salt

4 stalks celery*, diced

Procedure:

1. In small saucepan, stir together garlic, paprika, cumin, cayenne (or Sriracha) and olive oil. Place over medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. Pass the tomatoes through a food mill fitted with a large disk. Stir in the cooked spice mixture, the cilantro, vinegar, lemon juice, 2 tsp. salt, celery and 2 Tbsp. water. Add more salt as desired.

3. Refrigerate until cold. Serve, garnished with cilantro leaves.

Serves 4.