Roasted Tomatillo Gazpacho

It's hard to believe September is already knocking at the door, isn't it? It seems like only yesterday we were enjoying Memorial Day in Argentina. But sure enough, kids are back in school, US Open tennis is in full swing, and the countdown to November's election has officially begun. With the final days of summer ticking away we couldn't help but take what's probably the last opportunity of the season to make ourselves a little gazpacho.

Tomatillos are the perfect, little (wrapped) package to pick up at your farmers market this Sunday or next. Gazpacho is a perfect way to highlight all of the fresh summer produce peaking right now, including ripe and deliciously flavorful tomatoes from your backyard or local farm. Remember that your soup is only going to be as good as the ingredients that go in it!

For those of you new to the tomatillo, it's in the same family as the tomato, yes, but not the same genus. They're smaller and the taste is like... a cross between a tomato and a tart kiwi or maybe even a lemon. When picking your tomatillos, make sure they are bright green (not yellow), firm, and well attached to their dry, paper-like husks. If you want to wait a few days to make your soup, you can store your tomatillos in a paper bag.

Our recipe is a breeze; nothing labor intensive for you this Labor Day. Kick back and give an official "adios" to those beautiful 90 degree afternoons by adding a little something different to your old gazpacho!  We like to make a toast and serve ours in a pitcher with oversized shot glasses around here. Sure there's zing from the tomatillos, but we've got a hint of dry sherry in there as well!

Roasted Tomatillo Gazpacho
Print this recipe
Serves 4

2 cups (or about 15) tomatillos, unhusked and halved
2 cups (or about 6) sweet peppers (we used an assortment)
4 cups (or about 5 medium) really good ripe unpeeled tomatoes (we used an assortment)
3 scallions, chopped
1/2 red onion, diced
3/4 cucumber, peeled and chopped
1/2 bunch chopped parsley
4-5 thin slices of bread, sans crust (we used 5 dinner-sized potato rolls)
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp zinfandel wine vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
1 Tbsp dry sherry
1 tsp kosher salt
15 twists fresh ground black pepper

Garnish:
1 c of minced tomatoes, assorted colors
1/4 cucumber, peeled, seeded and minced
1 Tbsp red onion, minced
2 Tbsp sweet pepper, minced
1 Tbsp green scallion tops, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp parsley, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
drizzle of olive oil and red wine vinegar

1. Turn on broiler. Take the unhusked, halved tomatillos and toss them with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Place them on a sheet pan and roast them under the broiler for about 16 minutes and let cool.


2. Roughly chop tomatoes, peppers, scallions, cucumber, parsley, and red onion. Run water over bread enough to soften but not to the point of disintegration, then gently squeeze out the excess water.

3. Put vegetables and bread in blender or food processor and puree until smooth. You may have to puree in batches. If so, once you've poured all the puree into a large bowl, stir in vinegar, sherry, olive oil, salt, and 15 twists of ground pepper.

If you prefer a chunkier gazpacho you can skip Step 4 and serve it in bowls topped with garnish.

4. For a more drink-friendly gazpacho: strain the soup, pressing to make sure you get all of the liquid out of the vegetables. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Top with minced vegetable garnish and serve. You can chill the soup first if you like, but we prefer ours just like we like our heirloom tomatoes--at room-temp!

New England vs. Manhattan Clam Chowder

Game on! You shouldn't be surprised to learn we're not really big into football. Each year I try to get excited about watching the "big game" but then it always ends up the same. Every time I look at the roaring TV, the teams just seem to be standing around waiting. Then during halftime one of the Jacksons lip syncs while grabbing their bits. End of story.

So, after tossing $5 (I'll never see again) into the office pool this year, I figured out a better way to get into the game day spirit: pitting two recipes against one another. That's right! New England chowder goes clam to clam with Manhattan, pantry-style!

By pantry-style, I mean you don't have to get up early and hit the water on your Downeaster Alexa or even go to the fish market for that matter. It's relatively convenient and inexpensive. You *might* even already have most of the ingredients. See, here, we used canned clams and bottled juice for the actual chowders. Don't be fooled by the photo. We only added fresh clams in the end as a sort of topper, but that's completely optional and unnecessary.

For the cream-based New England Clam Chowder I referred to The Best Recipe, a collection from the Massachusetts-based Cooks Illustrated. They had a "master" version as well as pantry-style substitutes for those short on time. I also used my own alternatives where I could to try to tone down the decadence a bit. Of course, we took these substitutes and used them for both recipes to play fair. For the tomato-based Manhattan Clam Chowder, I used Tyler Florence's recipe from Eat This Book.I realize this could've given New England an advantage, because Tyler isn't a NYC-native, but rest assured he can definitely hold his own with this chowder thing.

First I started to make the New England clam chowder, fully expecting it would be my personal first place. I mean, c'mon... isn't it the favorite? It showed a solid offense with creamy and clammy full-bodied flavor.

But then as I started making the Manhattan style, I realized competition was fierce. The bright green of the celery kicked things off in another direction right away. Then the heat of the pork added another layer. I figured Louisiana Margaret would like the spicier Andouille sausaged Manhattan version better, but, to my surprise I couldn't stop tasting it myself. The spiciness was perfect and the Andouille just melts in your mouth. These chowders were pretty much head to head for both of us. We might just have to go into overtime or sudden death and make another batch to declare a winner!

So, if you're having a party later today, this is another fun thing to consider doing. Instead of just wings and beer or whatever, think about stacking a few bowls on the counter and having these two pots simmering and ready-to-eat on the stove. The base ingredients are pretty much the same, and you can do all the chopping for both chowders at the beginning, so it's not a lot of extra time and effort. Plus, it'll give those of us not into the game something else to cheer about.

New England Clam Chowder, Pantry-Style
Serves 6

4 (6.5 oz) cans chopped clams, juice drained and reserved*
2 (8 oz) bottles clam juice along with 1 cup of water*
4 slices thick-cut (turkey) bacon, cut into 1/4" pieces
2 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 Tbsp flour
3 med. waxy red boiling potatoes (1 1/2 lbs), scrubbed & diced
1 large bay leaf
2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 cup of light (or heavy) cream
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley leaves
salt & ground pepper

1. If you choose to use fresh clams instead, see note below. Fry bacon in a stock pot over medium-low heat for about 5-7 minutes. Add onion to bacon and saute until softened. If you use turkey bacon you may need a a bit of extra moisture, so drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil as needed to coat.

2. Add flour; stir until lightly colored, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in reserved clam broth, clam juice and water (about 4.5 to 5 cups of liquid total).

3. Add potatoes, bay leaf, and thyme; simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Add clam meat, cream, parsley, salt (if necessary) and ground pepper to taste; bring to simmer. Remove from heat and serve.

*If you choose to use fresh clams, select 7 pounds medium sized hard-shell clams, such as cherrystones, washed and scrubbed clean. Any clams more than 3-inches in diameter will deliver an inky-flavored chowder, so try to go smaller than that. Bring clams and 3 cups of water to a boil in large covered soup pot. Steam until clams just start to open, about 3-5 minutes. Discard any clams that do not open. Transfer clams to large bowl; cool slightly. Open clams with a paring knife, holding clams over a bowl to catch any juices. With knife, sever muscle that attaches clam to shell and transfer meat to cutting board. Mince clams; set aside. Pour clam broth into 2-quart Pyrex measuring cup, holding back the last few tablespoons of broth in case of sediment; set clam broth aside (about 5 cups). Rinse and dry kettle; return to burner to fry bacon. Use the reserved clam broth and clam meat as noted in the recipe above. If you use reserved clam broth here, you probably won't need the additional cup of water mentioned in the recipe.

Adapted from The Best Recipe.

Manhattan Clam Chowder, Pantry-Style
Serves 6

4 (6.5 oz) cans of chopped clams, juice drained and reserved**
2 (8 oz) bottles clam juice along with 1 cup water
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (or butter)
1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
4 oz Andouille (or chorizo) sausage link, sliced into 1/2" rounds
1 Tbsp flour
8 medium peeled tomatoes (we used canned), pureed in a food processor
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp red pepper flakes
2 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
2 waxy red potatoes, scrubbed and cubed
4-5 dry sundried tomatoes (optional)

1. In a large saucepot, heat olive oil over medium heat and toss in the onion, celery, garlic, and sausage; cook 4-5 minutes until the onion is wilted and translucent. Stir in the flour until it blends into a paste.

2. Slowly whisk in the clam broth until smooth. Add tomatoes and sugar and give a good stir. Toss in the pepper flakes, thyme, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Add the potatoes, bring to a boil, and boil hard for about 5-10 minutes or until the potatoes start to break down. Then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add clams* and simmer an additional 8 minutes or longer as flavors come together. Season again as needed and serve.

**If you choose to use fresh clams, select about 7 pounds medium sized hard-shell clams, such as cherrystones, washed and scrubbed clean. Toss them in where it says to add clams and simmer for about 8 minutes until clams open. Discard any clams that did not open.

Adapted from Eat This Bookby Tyler Florence.

Spicy Tomato Soup with Coconut Milk

Okay, okay. I have absolutely NO excuse for waiting so long to make my real post. I've been harassed, emailed, and teased for not being more on the ball this past month. I realize that if I don't get this done I'll be an ingredient in the next soup on here. Not good.

On a positive note, I've been given several good recipes from friends and family that I'll be featuring in the coming week. We have to earn our readership, we know. You all have waited this long, why not throw in a few extra posts for good measure!

In the meantime, this post is for my friend Kelly who spent much of December in India. She was kind enough to score me some recipes while she was there. She gave them to me handwritten with little doodles in a cool green textured journal. This is where I'll be storing my sacred soup scrolls from now on.

The first recipe I tried was a cauliflower soup aka "Gobhi Shorba." She'd originally steered me away from this one, but on the night I tried it, I was looking for something really straightforward and easy. It was, but unfortunately, it didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped. I won't be posting the recipe. If you'd like it, however, email me and I'll get it to you. I'm sure someone out there can work their magic and make it better.

Instead, I'm posting the second soup I tried, Spicy Tomato with Coconut Milk. My version wasn't spicy in the American sense. It was actually a bit sweet. I'm not sure if I'll make it again, as it wasn't one of my favorites, but I do look forward to trying the Pineapple Rasam recipe she also gave me. Stay tuned. In any case, it was fun to play with seasonings I haven't used in awhile. If you try it, let me know what you think!

Spicy Tomato Soup with Coconut Milk
1/2 cup split red lentils (redgram dal)
6 roma tomatoes (I actually used canned this go)
3 tsp of rasam (see recipe below, or purchase at an Indian grocer)

RASAM:
1 cup coriander seeds
1/2 cup dry red chilis, halved (I skipped this part)
2 tbsp split red lentils
5 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tsp tumeric powder
2 tbsp whole black pepper
Curry leaves or 1/2 tsp curry powder
Dry roast all the ingredients. Grind to a fine powder.

2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp tumeric powder
6 tbsp coconut milk (don't repeat my mistake. I used lite...go for the real deal!)
salt to taste
cilantro

Seasoning:
1 tbsp oil
1 black mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 whole dry red chili, halved (I skipped this one)
Curry leaves or 1/2 tsp curry powder

1. Cook lentils until soft and mushy.

2. Liquidize the tomatoes (if not using canned) and pour into a pot. Add the rasam, tumeric, salt, and brown sugar to the tomato puree. Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes.

3. Add the cooked lentils. Simmer for five minutes. If the mixture is too thick, add some water to maintain a soupy consistency.

4. Add coconut milk to the rasam.

5. Use a separate pan for the seasoning. Add 1 tbsp oil. When it's heated through, add mustard seeds. Watch out, this will splatter the oil! Add the other seasoning ingredients and pour this on the rasam.

7. Garnish with cilantro or cilantro pesto. A dollop of yogurt or a swirl of the coconut milk also looks good!

Tomato Cheddar Soup

There was a whole lotta soup going on this past week. I had all four of my wisdom teeth removed and, believe me, if there's ever a time to eat soup, it's after oral surgery. But whatever you do, DON'T use a straw!

In between the frozen custard and pain meds, I found sustenance and comfort in three soups:

1. my mother's potato cheese
2. tomato cheddar
3. curried apple

I figured the curried apple was too similar to Margaret's most recent recipe with its "sweet heat" element. The potato cheese deserves a more extensive post since it's a beloved soup from my college days. So I'll hold off on those two and feature the tomato cheddar this time.

Tomato Cheddar Soup
Serves 4-6

4 tbsp butter
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 lbs of tomatoes (cored/cubed)
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 sprigs of thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried thyme)
1 tsp salt or to taste
1/4 tsp baking soda (to give it a little bubbly)
1 cup skim or whatever milk you prefer
2 cups coarsely grated cheddar cheese
chopped chives for garnish

1. In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 8-10 minutes.

2. Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, thyme, salt, and baking soda. Increase the heat until the soup comes to a boil, then stir in the milk. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer as the mixture thickens and the tomatoes break down, about 10-15 minutes.

3. Remove the pot from the heat and discard the thyme sprigs. Stir in the cheese a handful at a time. Make sure one handful of cheese has melted before adding another. Using a cuisinart or blender, puree the soup in batches until creamy and smooth.

4. Transfer the soup back to the pot and keep it warm over low heat. Adjust seasoning to your liking. Serve in bowls and top with a sprinkling of chives for garnish. Some people also like a tad of sour cream and hot sauce.