Dinner at Rancho Winslow, 6.14.2012

 As the garden tomatoes continue to multiply, we decided that a big batch of gazpacho would be a good way to use up some. The recipe is posted below, and the garnish is chunks of ripe avocado, cilantro, and some garlicky croutons I made from  some leftover onion buns. Di had seconds, and Di rarely gets seconds of anything.In this heat, a cold batch of rich tomato soup hits the spot nicely.



Princess Di likes it chunky!



The batch, post-chill, ready for the bowl.....

The store had some nice looking green beans, and CBoy and Di had brought back some fish from their coastal excursion. Rather than saute all of it, I lubed up a baking pan with olive oil and butter, poured in some white wine and lime juice, and seasoned the filets of redfish and speckled trout with paprika, S&P, and onion powder. They went into the oven and I whipped up a variant of a piccatta sauce, using red onions, capers, white wine, chicken stock, reduced it down, and mounted it with butter. Plated with the green beans, it was a real nice repast. Cannot beat fresh fish from the Gulf. Good eats....

Basic Gazpacho


Chill all ingredients first to make it easier to chill before service. You can peel and seed the tomatoes if you insist, but why bother.


2 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes, chopped
2 cups tomato juice or V8

1 - 1½ cups cucumber, peeled, seeded, chopped
½ cup red onion, minced
3-5 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 large jalapeño, de-ribbed and seeded, minced
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1½ tablespoons lime juice

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Spanish paprika
½ teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
2 tablespoons basil or cilantro, chiffonade
Garnish:
Avocado, diced
Scallion, minced
Croutons toasted in garlic-flavored olive oil

Combine all ingredients and chill thoroughly.  You can add 1 teaspoon cumin for a more Latino flavor. Poached shrimp, scallops, or crab make a nice addition. 2 ounces of frosty Tito’s or Sobieski Vodka per bowl transform it into a nice cocktail.

Mick Vann ©