Attention Gazpacho Lovers, Try Making Chilled Tomato Bisque Soup!

One of my favorite summer treats is gazpacho; I absolutely love it on warm summer evenings. I make a couple of batches every summer.

Chilled TomatoBisque Soup, garnished
with olive oil and balsamic vinegar,
served with toasted French bread.

Last year, while searching got new gazpacho recipes, I found this recipe for Chilled Tomato Bisque Soup, which is extremely easy to prepare. I absolutely love this tomato delight, and have added it to my summer cooking rotation.

The creamy texture of this soup is fantastic, and comes from the cashews. It is really amazing, as if dairy products were included in the recipe! 

Like a good gazpacho, this recipe is great alternative on hot summer days. It is completely raw, requiring no time in front of a hot stove.  It is also both vegetarian, and vegan!

Skill level:

Chilled Tomato Bisque Soup 

3 cups chopped fresh tomatoes, de-seeded 

1/4 cup raw cashews, soaked 4 hours 

1/2 cup water 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/4 teaspoon black pepper 

1 tablespoon olive oil 

1 clove garlic 

1 tablespoon lemon juice (fresh squeezed is best)

1 teaspoon agave syrup 

2 tablespoons fresh basil, roughly chopped 

Place all of the ingredients in the blender and blend for 2-3 minutes, until creamy. Serve immediately or store in a tightly covered container (for up to 3 days) in the refrigerator. 

Serves 3-4 

Additional Notes:

• I do not mind traces of tomato seed in my soup, so I often skip deseeding the tomatoes.  A good blender will reduce most of them, anyway.
• If you do not have agave syrup, substitute honey or brown sugar.  It just adds a bit of richness to the soup.
• I garnish my soup with a splash of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  It looks pretty, and really accents the flavors.
• If you do not have time to soak the raw cashews, boil them for about 20 minutes.  Soaking is preferable, as it gives the best creaminess, but boiling works well, too.
• I store left over soup in the refrigerator, in the blender container.  When ready to serve, I just but the blender container back on the motor base, and give the soup a couple of quick pulses to recombine any ingredients which may have separated.

Insalata Caprese

Prepared Insalata Caprese

It is summer, and the garden vegetables are beginning to ripen. Inspired by the freshness of summer vegetables, tonight I made a simple (and mostly uncooked) salad.  

Insalata Caprese is an elegantly uncomplicated dish, originating from the Campania region of Capri.

Traditionally, it is served as a side, but I serve it in the North American tradition, as a starter. It can be made a number of different ways, but this is my favorite preparation of the salad. The ingredients are simple, assembly is easy, and takes less than 20 minutes to prepare.

Skill level:
Serves six.

Ingredients:

4 (to 5) Large Roma Tomatos

10 to 12 Basil Leaves (Large)

1 Pound Fresh Mozzarella

2/3 Cup Balsamic Vinegar

Olive Oil

Black Pepper

Preparation: 

1. Slice tomatoes into 1/4 inch slices. Discard the stem end and the small ends of the tomato.
2. Slice Mozzarella into thin slices, preferably 1/8 inch thick; one slice, per slice of tomato.
3. Roll groups of three to four basil leaves into a loose cigar shape, and slice into 1/8 inch slices. Fluff cut leaves, so that they are easy to handle.                             
4. Put Balsamic Vinegar in a sauce pan. Heat on medium high setting on your range. Whisk frequently, and reduce boiling mixture to just over half. It should thicken as it reduces, and will become syrupy as it cools. Set aside vinegar reduction to cool.
5. Drizzle vinegar reduction on a plate. If the reduction is too thick, and does not drizzle and spread well, add a bit of water, one tablespoon at a time, until it flows nicely. Note: You can also drizzle the vinegar reduction on six small plate, should you wish to serve the salad individually, as I did. in the pictures that follow.             
6. Assemble by putting one slice of cheese on each tomato slice, and add a pinch of the basil. 
7. Stack prepared slices loosely on a plate (or divide slices on six small plates). In the event that you have too many tomato slices, just tuck remainders under the matched stacks, or just set aside for another use.                                   
8. Drizzle lightly (or to taste) with olive oil, and dust with pepper. Serve!