Betty Draper's "Gazpacho from Spain"

So even though it could be months until I hear from Food Network about my "casting opportunity", I figured I might as well continue testing the various recipes I had in mind for my menu.  I did tell you that I auditioned for a TV show on Food right?  Maybe not exactly, but oh well....I'll tell you about it another time....just waiting to hear now.  Could be months, but a girl has to eat!

Eventually the menu will come together for you all, and I'll share, but for now I'll just leave clues.  The first is in today's post's title.  Then we had the deviled eggs of last weekend...hmmm.  What could it be?

So today's adventure takes us to Spain to make Gazpacho.  Once again, I am turning the the Barefoot Contessa herself, Ina Garten for the base recipe.  The only thing I did differently was I added some red pepper flakes and about 1/4 cup of bread crumbs.  I am used to seeing that in these kinds of recipes so I added some here for body.

Gazpacho

(Serves 4 to 6)

1 hothouse cucumber, halved and seeded, but not peeled
2 red bell peppers, cored and seeded
1/4 cup breadcrumbs from day-old bread
4 plum tomatoes
1 red onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
23 ounces tomato juice (3 cups)
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup good olive oil
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Roughly chop the cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes and red onions into 1-inch cubes. Put each vegetable separately into a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until it is coarsely chopped. Do not over-process!  You can even keep a bit of each vegetable aside, finely chopped, to add texture if needed.

After each vegetable is processed, combine them in a large bowl and add the garlic, tomato juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix well and chill before serving. The longer gazpacho sits, the more the flavors develop.

Yummy!

From Ina Garten’s “The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook”