030: salmorejo

hello there!  sorry for my absence--i had reconstructive bone surgery on both feet a few weeks ago and have only recently been able to stand for any length of time.  so!  what do i do when i can stand again?  get back in my kitchen, of course!  in order to celebrate the world cup and my LOVE for spain (and fernando torres!) and all things spanish, i decided to make some salmorejo (sal-more-AY-hoe)--a tomato and garlic spanish soup that is served cold.  it's great for summer, and it's so easy!

equipment:
chef's knife
measuring cups and spoons
serrated knife
food processor or blender

ingredients:
1 lb. ripe tomatoes
2 cloves minced garlic, or to taste (i used about 3)
1/4 c. olive oil (spanish if you can get it)
1 T. + 1 t. vinegar
french bread baguette
salt to taste
hard boiled eggs for garnish
iberian ham or bacon bits for garnish
cilantro for garnish

steps:
1.) cut about half of the french bread baguette into slices and leave out to stale a bit (an hour or two will be fine).

2.) cut the tomatoes into chunks and put them into food processor or blender.  then add garlic, olive oil, and vinegar and blend until smooth.

3.) peel the bread part of the french bread baguette away from the crusts.   add it to the tomato mixture one piece at a time and blend (also one piece at a time).  continue adding pieces of bread until the mixture has about the same viscosity as pudding (or a little thinner).

4.) chill for a half an hour or more.  as the soup chills, hard boil about 1 egg for every 2 people being served.  put eggs into a saucepan and cover in cold water.  add about 1 T. of vinegar and 1 t. of salt to the water.  bring to a rolling boil, and as soon as it boils, turn the heat down and simmer for about 1 minute.  then take it off the heat and cover and let stand for about 10 minutes.  the eggs are done when you spin them on the counter and they stay upright.  cool them down by putting them in cold water or ice, depending on how quickly you need to serve them.  peel and chop into small pieces.

5.) ladle or spoon into bowls, and garnish with cut up hard boiled eggs, iberian ham/bacon bits, and/or cilantro.  add salt to taste.  serve with slices of the rest of the baguette of french bread (i even like to use these as edible spoons and never actually touch a real utensil!).


time: 1-2 hours for bread to stale, 30 minutes to prepare, 30+ minutes to chill
difficulty: 1.5 (1 being easiest, 5 being hardest)
rating: ♦♦♦♦1/2◊ (4.5 out of 5 stars)
suggestions for variation: play around with the proportions of everything until you find the combination that works best for you.


enjoy :o)
-kl