When October comes, I'm in the process of putting my garden to bed for the season. However, as long as the frosts haven't come yet, I will have tomatoes late into the season. And sometimes that means frantic efforts to roast and freeze them or more salads than I care to have. However, there's one dish that brings summer to my table late into fall. That's gazpacho.
However, it finds a fall makeover this time of the year. Instead of a wide variety of fresh ingredients, I roast the tomatoes and garlic and let them give a special flavor to the entire dish. Roasting the tomatoes and garlic gives the soup a more complex flavor with the sweetness that only roasting can bring out.
I highly recommend roasting more tomatoes and garlic than you need and using some in this chilled soup, some in pasta sauce and freezing whatever you have left. They make a welcomed treat when winter's at its worst!
As always, I encourage you to share your recipe ideas and comments. You can always post comments in the discussion board using the forms provided in the articles or email me directly at . Enjoy!
Roasted Tomato Gazpacho
- 3 large, ripe tomatoes -- sliced into wedges
- 1 head garlic -- cloves peeled
- 1/4 c. olive oil
- 1 c. chicken or vegetable broth
- 1/2 c. chopped red pepper
- 1/2 c. chopped green pepper
- 2/3 c. chopped cucumber
- 10 grape tomatoes -- halved
- 1/2 c. sliced green onions
- 1 T. balsamic vinegar
- Drizzle chili oil
A day or two prior to making the gazpacho, roast the tomatoes and garlic as follows: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Arrange the prepared tomato wedges and garlic cloves evenly in a shallow glass baking pan. Drizzle with the olive oil and roast for 20-30 minutes or until the garlic is soft and golden brown. Refrigerate until ready to prepare the gazpacho.
When you're ready to prepare the gazpacho, blend the prepared tomatoes and garlic until liquefied. Add the chicken or vegetable broth and mix thoroughly. Place the liquid in a large glass serving bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Serve chilled.
- Yields: 4-6 servings
- Preparation Time: 10 minutes, plus tomato roasting time