Boat Food: Gazpacho!

 We are smack dab in the middle of summer.  And that means lots of fresh veggies!  I was really excited when I realized one of my favorite summer soups is easy to make and store on Luna Sea.

For those not familiar, Gazpacho is a cold soup that originated in Spain - and it's crammed full of delicious veggies.  And while there is a food processor/immersion blender involved, there is NO cooking for this one.  

I store this in a leak-proof (usually Lock and Lock) container in the fridge and eat it for days at a time.  It's very refreshing and helps get in your vitamins when you may be too hot to eat/cook.  I imagine it will be great to prep before passages as well, so that we can eat something healthy even if I'm feeling sea sick. Especially if I'm feeling sea sick.  Down below on a hot day when you are nauseous is a serious appetite suppressant.

One of the major variables here is the heat.  And I mean the spiciness.  I add cayenne, and I get a little heavy handed with it.  I like the cold soup/spicy contrast.  But keep in mind, when you season a food, and then chill it, the seasonings you use will be somewhat muted.  So remember to re-taste it the first go round to make sure you've got it just the way you want it.

Gazpacho Ingredients:

Tomatoes - several fresh (2lbs?) or a big can.  

1 peeled Cucumber

1/2 - 1 whole Onion - spicy, not sweet

1 clove Garlic

2 red/yellow/orange Peppers, seeded - I try to use 2 different colors for the vitamin variance

3T+ Vinegar, usually red wine, but adjust based on what you have on hand

1/4 tsp Cumin

1/2 - 1 tsp Salt, to taste

1/4 - 1/2 tsp Pepper, I prefer white

1 cup Olive Oil

Optional Spices/Veggies:

Cayenne Pepper, to taste

Turmeric, 1/2 tsp or so

Carrots

Celery

Garnish:

Cucumber, small diced

Onion, small diced

Olive Oil

Dried Spices like Parsley, Basil or Cilantro

Instructions:

Tomatoes are the base for the soup, so determine your quantity based on how much soup you want.  Rough chop all of your veggies into big chunks.  It will make the next step go faster.

Immersion Blender: Dump all of the ingredients into a big pot, then blend until completely smooth.  Taste and adjust seasonings accordingly.  Transfer to leak-proof container and chill. Re-season if necessary before serving.

Food Processor:  Dump all of the ingredients into a large bowl/pot and stir.  Working in batches, scoop into food processor and run until smooth. Repeat until all ingredients are processed.  Taste and adjust seasonings accordingly.  Transfer to leak-proof container and chill. Re-season if necessary before serving.

I'm loving these containers!  They drop right into my deep fridge.

You can really play around here based on what you have on hand.  Sometimes I use carrots, sometimes I don't.  A celery stalk or two can be a nice addition. Some people use bread crumbs, I don't.  Be careful of the onion - taste it before you toss it in!  I learned this the hard way on a batch.  I just always use 1 onion, but the last one was way too onion-y and over-powered the soup.  

A good trick to stretch this recipe is to add a can of V-8 when you're about half way done.  It's faster than making a whole new batch, gives it a little different flavor, and lets you enjoy the deliciousness a bit longer. 

Gazpacho with a cilantro garnish and side of crusty bread

I like to garnish each bowl with about a tablespoon of small chopped cucumber and a little drizzle of olive oil.  Black pepper could be nice as well.  This go round, I just used cilantro and parsley.

Let me know what you think if you try the recipe.  And what are some of your favorite summer dishes?  Have you found any that work well on a boat?  We'd love to hear from you!