One Perfect Bite: summer

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Salmorejo - Spanish Chilled Tomato Soup

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a wonderful soup, and while I suspect it might become a favorite of those of you who are adventurous eaters, it will not have universal appeal. Salmorejo is a bit like gazpacho, but it is richer and deeper in flavor than its more mild mannered cousin. It truly has attitude. I suggest that the first time you make this, you judiciously add vinegar to the soup. I personally found that the 2 tablespoons listed in the recipe below was overkill, and tended to make the soup more sour than I enjoy. I've found that a tablespoons works well for me and mine. While this cool and creamy tomato soup is nearly effortless to make, I do suggest you prepare it a full day before you plan to serve it. You will find that its flavor greatly improves with age. This is one of those soups that demands to be served with a thick crusty peasant bread. I'm told that in Spain they actually use the bread to mop up the last traces of soup remaining in the bowl. A glass of Rioja and a lovely crisp salad would also be wonderful accompaniments. I do hope, if only for the sake of novelty, you'lre tempted to give this soup a try. Chilled soups are a wonderful addition to summer meals and there are not a lot of recipes for them floating through cyberspace. This one is worth your time and effort. Here is how this version of Spanish Salmorejo is made.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Watermelon and Tomato Salad

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This lovely salad is perfect to serve with summer's al fresco meals and I wanted you to have the recipe for it well in advance of the 4th of July holiday. It's very easy to prepare and it adds a lovely brightness to any meal where it is served. While the various element of the salad can be assembled early in the day, they should be combined and dressed just prior to serving. The salad is best served icy cold and, for optimal visual effect, you'll want to use the yellow tomatoes called for in the recipe. 'm using a photo from Taste of Home magazine to illustrate the way the salad should look. I had to make it this evening using only red tomatoes and it did not photograph well. I'll replace their photo with one of my own before the holiday. The magazine photo has been replaced with one of my own. I know many of you are going to question the use of the mango if this recipe. It adds a tart sweetness to the dressing that is hard to duplicate with other ingredients, so I'm going to say it is necessary in this application. I'm fairly certain that those of you make the salad will be pleased with the results. If you need more than six servings, the recipe can, of course, be doubled. Here's how it is made.

Watermelon and Tomato Salad ...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite adapted from a recipe developed for Taste of Home Magazine

Ingredients:
Salad Dressing
1-1/2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoons honey
1 small mango, peeled and chopped
1/2 teaspoon grated lime peel
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
Salad
4 cups cubed seedless watermelon
3/4 pound yellow tomatoes, coarsely chopped (about 3 medium)
3/4 pounds red tomatoes, coarsely chopped (about 3 medium)
1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro

Directions:
1) For dressing, place lime juice, white balsamic vinegar, olive oil, honey, mango, lime peel, salt
and pepper in a blender; cover and process until pureed.
2) In a large bowl, combine watermelon, tomatoes, onions and cilantro. Just before serving, add dressing and toss to coat. Serve with a slotted spoon. Yield: 6 servings.