And Now for Something Completely Different . . . Cucumber Gazpacho

Okay, maybe not so different. We've had various gazpacho recipes posted on the blog and in the pages of the newsletter. But--there are still cucumbers in the harvest, so how about some cucumber gazpacho? If you still have a couple of jalapenos from a week or so ago, you are pretty much ready to go with this recipe, which is a little spicy and very tasty. Sort of a break from all those tomato recipes, too. I've been enjoying this cold soup off and on all week, it's a great cool lunch.

Spicy Cucumber Gazpacho
2 English cucumbers, peeled and chopped (4 cups chopped)
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, deribbed, and chopped
3 green onions, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
2 jalapeno chiles, stemmed, halved lengthwise, seeded and deribbed (use disposable gloves)
small handful Italian parsley, large stems removed
small handful spearmint or lemon verbena leaves (I used orange mint)
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced or pressed
½ cup chicken stock, vegetable stock, or water
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoonsred wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Tabasco (or homemade) green pepper sauce, to taste (just a few drops!)
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Garnish
¼ cup diced cucumber (with peel)
croutons

Put the cucumber, bell pepper, green onions, jalapeno chiles, parsley, spearmint or lemon verbena, and garlic into a blender or food processor to puree. Add the stock, olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, Tabasco, and salt. Pulse to combine. Taste and adjust the balance of salt and lemon juice if needed.

Chill completely, and just before serving, pour the soup into bowls and garnish with diced cucumber and croutons. Makes 2 quarts; serves 6.

Time to Gear Up for Tomato Season

I think we’ve mentioned this before, but we’re going to be getting a lot of tomatoes . . . I am planning on eating a lot of mine on toasted bread with bacon and lettuce and a soupcon of mayonnaise, or cut into segments like an orange and topped wit a dollop of cottage cheese sprinkled with fresh chopped basil and black pepper, or sliced and layered with fresh mozzarella slices and basil, or . . . okay, I could go on and on describing ways to eat tomatoes pretty much as nature intended them, fresh off the vine.

But there are plenty of great recipes for tomatoes, too; some of them have already been included in the Enright CSA blog, so I’ll just provide links back to those recipes. The first is for Gazpacho, aka cold Mexican tomato soup. This uses cucumbers, too, and heavens knows we have gotten a lot of cucumbers lately. (The photo at the top of this blog entry shows a batch of gazpacho in progress.)

The second is for Grilled Caprese Salad; you probably know that Caprese Salad is concocted from fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and fresh basil, with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It’s, well, a very fresh way to eat your tomatoes. But just try running it under the broiler for a few minutes for a warm version that is pretty great, too. Caprese Salad simply means “salad in the style they make it on the Isle of Capri,” an island off the coast of Naples, Italy. It’s called Capri from the Latin word capreae, which means goats. The Romans called it the “Isle of Goats,” and I expect that fresh goat cheese was originally used in Caprese Salad. Which sounds pretty good, now that I mention it.

Baked Tomatoes
One more quick and simple tomato preparation (it's too easy to warrant a recipe) to end this blog: Baked Tomatoes. Take a few tomatoes and cut off the top, making a flat top. Score the top of the tomatoes with a knife, then spread on just a little mustard of your choice. Sprinkle the tops of each tomato with salt and pepper to taste, bread crumbs, and anything else that sounds good—thyme, tarragon, basil, parmesan cheese—the garnish is up to you. Put the tomatoes in separate compartments of a muffin pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. A real taste treat!

Coming soon—recipes that use tomatoes AND zucchini!

Top Ten Things to Do with a Surfeit of Tomatoes

We’re going to get a bumper crop of tomatoes in the next few weeks. How great is that? The only thing is, you’ll need to figure out some ways to keep some of them for later. Even the most ardent tomato fan, like me, can’t eat tomatoes morning, noon, and night. Here are a few suggestions to keep in mind when the tomatoes start rolling in; we’ll start posting recipes for some of these ideas soon, too!

10. Cook up a big batch of ketchup. How cool will it be to have homemade ketchup for your burgers and fries?
9. Experiment with exquisitely flavored spaghetti sauce and freeze it to enjoy the essence of summer in the middle of winter.
8. Chop them up for tomato chutney, relish, chop-chop, or whatever you call it, to can and keep or jar and keep for a long time in the fridge.
7. Use them for a facial. It's true; they are an astringent and can allegedly clear up acne, open pores, and generally help your skin.
6. Create a French country pizza—fresh dough topped with olive oil, sliced tomatoes, and mozzarella. Or bake them in a pie. A tart actually, but there are lots of recipes for tomato tarts out there.
5. Process a few jars of tomato jam (great with homemade ricotta on homemade bread).
4. Make sun-dried tomatoes. You can do it in the oven, and if they aren’t completely dry, they also keep marvelously packed in olive oil with garlic and spices. When you want to use them, drain them and toss with pasta; save the olive oil to make a delicious salad dressing, too.
3. Blanch, peel, and freeze them in freezer bags to make sauce or add to stews all winter.
2. Put together a gallon of gazpacho. It’s no-cook (except for skinning the tomatoes) and the perfect food for hot summer days.

And the number 1, most delicious way to enjoy homegrown Ohio Valley tomatoes—slice and eat them with a little salt and pepper or oil and vinegar—enjoy the bounty!

Look for more ideas and recipes coming soon . . . and if you have a favorite recipe to share, send it to the Enright CSA blog at farm@pricehill.org or to the Enright Greenhouse Gazette at hotchsdirt@gmail.com.