As Promised: Golden Gazpacho

Thanks to everyone who came to visit us at the SOL Food Festival this weekend.  We had a blast and hope you did too!  As promised, here is the recipe for the Golden Gazpacho we sampled, featuring fresh produce from Fairview Gardens.  If you like this, you should check out our recipe index where we have hundreds of recipes for you to enjoy.  Our Cowboy Cookies and other baked goods are currently available at Handlebar Coffee Roasters on E. Cañon Perdido Street.  Our gourmet ready-to-eat soups, salads, sandwiches, baked goods and more will be available at the Santa Barbara Public Market when it opens.  We will keep you posted.  It’s worth the wait.  Trust us.

GOLDEN GAZPACHO

Yield: 6 servings (about 4 1/2 cups)

This gazpacho is surprising in many ways. The brilliant color reminds you that tomatoes aren’t just red. If you are working with cherry tomatoes like we did for the SOL Food Festival, just add them whole to the mix and purée them in the food processor.  No chopping required.  Optional garnish includes croutons or red grapes. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2 ears fresh corn, shucked and rinsed (about 1 ½ cups)
• 4 yellow tomatoes, seeded and chopped (about 1 pound)
• 1/4 small red onion, minced
• 1 large yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
• 1 cup red grapes, chopped (optional: more for garnish)
• 1 cup vegetable broth, divided
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 lemon for fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Procedure:

1. Cut the kernels from the corn cob. In a large bowl, combine the corn kernels, tomato, red onion, yellow bell pepper, cucumber, red grapes, ¼ cup broth, parsley, olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, hot sauce, salt, and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.
2. Place cold vegetable mixture in a food processor and purée until almost smooth.  We like to leave it a little chunky.  Work in batches if you need to.  If you have a blender stick, you can use that as well.  Add additional vegetable broth to achieve desired consistency. Season to taste with additional salt, pepper, vinegar, and hot sauce.
3. Serve soup in chilled bowls garnished with small croutons or minced red grapes.

Sources of inspiration: Epicurious.com and The Golden Door Cooks Light & Easy