Shall we come into each other’s kitchens this morning? Yes.
A delicious discussion of gazpacho, a summer vegetable favorite in the cold soup category, follows as you keep reading. However, the sender, A. Evanston, admitted, “I came across these recipes while searching for a recipe of a creamy gazpacho. Does anyone have a gazpacho recipe that has cream in it? Or one that is less chunky than the typical ones?”
This is a paragraph of reminders. We still need a recipe for manicotti. And here’s a repeat request for anyone who has ethnic family traditions that fill your dinner table. Give us a recipe, please, and a side or two, and then tell us where you buy your freshest and most authentic ingredients locally.
CORNMEAL MUSINGS
Your comments on any column are always welcome, and the conversation regularly reboots where cornbread and its ingredients are concerned.
Mary Ann McInturff wrote, “To your question about yellow cornmeal, I always think of cornbread made with yellow meal as Yankee cornbread. It frequently has sugar added and is made in a baking dish rather than an iron skillet and is cut into squares for serving. I’m sure others may disagree with me, but I’ve always thought of Southern cornbread as not sweet, so should be made with white meal which is not as sweet as yellow.”
AMARETTO PIE
An anonymous reader discovered an amaretto pie collection in her recipe file. “I believe this came from The Chattanooga Times awhile back. It is not the Mount Vernon version, but it might interest someone who likes the flavor of amaretto.”
So, readers, nominations are still open for the best amaretto pie — in your considered opinion.
Amaretto Marshmallow Cream Pie
3 cups mini marshmallows
2/3 cup evaporated milk
3 to 4 tablespoons amaretto liqueur
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup whipping cream, whipped, and more for topping if desired
1 chocolate crumb crust (you may also use a vanilla wafer or graham cracker crust)
In saucepan, heat marshmallows and evaporated milk until marshmallows are melted. Stir in amaretto. Refrigerate until slightly thickened. Stir in vanilla extract. Fold in whipped cream. Pour into crust. Refrigerate. Top with a dollop of whipped cream, if desired.
GAZPACHO VARIATIONS
In the search for creamy gazpacho, A. Evanston came across two interesting variations of this cold soup. “The first recipe adds shrimp to make this a whole meal. It came from Bon Appetit magazine.”
Gazpacho With Shrimp
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes
Gazpacho:
4 cups tomato juice, separated
1 cup cubed baguette (1/2-inch cubes)
1 medium red bell pepper, cored and cut into quarters
1 medium yellow bell pepper, cored and cut into quarters
1 medium Vidalia onion, cut into quarters
1 hothouse cucumber, cut in half
5 medium tomatoes, cut into quarters
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, plus additional for garnish
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
In a small bowl, pour 1 cup tomato juice over bread cubes. Mix well, and let soak for 15 minutes.
Place half of red bell pepper, half of yellow bell pepper, 1 quarter onion and half of cucumber in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse several times until vegetables are processed to a medium to small dice. Transfer to a large bowl. Transfer 2 of the tomatoes to the food processor, and pulse until diced. Add tomatoes to other vegetables.
Transfer soaked bread, remaining bell peppers, onion, cucumber, tomatoes, garlic, 3 cups tomato juice and parsley to food processor, and process until completely pureed. Add mixture to other vegetables.
Add vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Stir until well combined. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Croutons:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups cubed baguette (1/2-inch cubes)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add bread cubes, and toss to coat in butter. Let bread begin to brown in butter, tossing regularly. When bread is browned on all sides, add salt and remove from skillet.
Shrimp:
1 1/2 pounds jumbo shrimp
3 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning
Peel and de-vein shrimp.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add Old Bay Seasoning. Add shrimp and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until shrimp is pink and opaque. Drain and place shrimp over ice to stop cooking.
Assembly:
Ladle gazpacho into bowls. Garnish with croutons, 3 to 4 shrimp per bowl, and fresh parsley leaves. Serve immediately.
Makes 6 servings.
Gazpacho With Herbed Goat Cheese Toasts
Gazpacho:
1 slice firm, white country-style bread, crusts removed
3 pounds ripe tomatoes, cut in half
1 red bell pepper, seeded, cut in half
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely diced
1/2 shallot, peeled and finely diced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika or chile powder
Freshly ground black pepper
In a small bowl, soak the bread in cold water for 1 minute, drain, and press some of the water out of the bread.
Working in batches, pulse the tomatoes and one of the red pepper halves in the bowl of a food processor or blender with the bread until they’re almost liquefied but still have a few chunky bits barely visible.
Finely dice the other half of the red pepper. Mix the pureed tomatoes, bread and red pepper in a large bowl with the cucumber and shallot. Stir in the olive oil, vinegar, salt, and paprika or chile powder. Season with pepper. Taste and add additional salt if necessary. Chill thoroughly.
Toasts:
16 baguette slices, about 1/3-inch thick
Olive oil, divided
1 clove garlic, peeled and cut in half
2 cups fresh goat cheese, ricotta, or farmers cheese
1 tablespoon chopped herbs (basil, mint, chervil, chives, or dill or a mixture of herbs)
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the baguette slices on a baking sheet, and brush the tops lightly with olive oil. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes, until the toasts are light brown. Remove from the oven and, when cool enough, rub generously with the cut side of the garlic clove.
With a fork, mix the cheese in a small bowl with the herbs, 1 teaspoon of olive oil and some salt until it is smooth. Smear a tablespoon of the cheese mixture onto each toast.
Assembly:
Divide the soup among six chilled bowls, and serve the toasts alongside. Makes 6 servings.
— Adapted by morselsandsauces.com from David Lebovitz’s “My Paris Kitchen.”
Plain and fancy, old-fashioned and familiar: the collective you provide it all, and we give thanks.
REQUESTS
— Creamy gazpacho
— Manicotti
— Favorite ethnic dishes and where to buy authentic ingredients
TO REACH US
Fare Exchange is a longtime meeting place for people who love to cook and love to eat. We welcome both your recipes and your requests. Be sure to include precise instructions for every recipe you send, and know we cannot test the recipes printed here.
Mailing address: Jane Henegar, 913 Mount Olive Road, Lookout Mountain, GA 30750
Email: chattfare@gmail.com