Tag Archives: picnic fare

Cantaloupe Gazpacho

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A Cold Summer Soup for Slackers

Growing up in California, you get a little spoiled on melons. I remember summer breakfasts at my grandmother’s house, scooping up cold, juicy crenshaw melon flesh that peeled off the spoon; and honeydew melon that tasted like candy.  I also remember feeling really sorry for my cousins because they HAD to have cantaloupe every morning for breakfast in the summer. Cantaloupe felt so ordinary, so available. I remember wrestling with under ripe wedges so hard it felt like I was going to bend the spoon with every scoop. It seemed like too much work when at our house we could just open the box of Captn Crunch or put a Pop Tart in the toaster oven.

Oh how times have changed. Summer ripe melon—any melon—is my fantasy. Mostly, I fulfill that with juicy ripe watermelon, which is pretty easy to find. As I write this, I am marinating watermelon for my second batch of Okey Pokey Watermelon Poke Bowls. There may or may not have already been multiple big batches of Watermelonade; and Summer Perfection Watermelon Tomato Salad? I’m coming for you next.

The older, Capt’n Crunchless, east coast me has come to appreciate the humbler cantaloupe, especially when it is actually ripe, which it is right now. That’s why I was intrigued by this recipe for Cantaloupe Gazpacho recently in the newspaper. It starts with a very easy base of a few fresh ingredients that all go into the blender. From there it gets a little fancy, with crisped prosciutto and olive oil whipped cream. I guess they had to do that to make it newsworthy, and it definitely takes it over the top. But I’m perfectly happy with the refreshing and very healthy basic soup. Keeping it chilled in a portable, pourable container makes it darned near perfect for slackers who want to up their summer lunch/dinner/spontaneous picnic game.

A couple of notes: This recipe is designed to work with not perfectly ripe melon as well; hence, the optional honey. I used hot honey which was good but also if your melon is sweet you don’t need honey at all. I think of gazpacho as a chunky affair, and this has a smoother texture. So, call it what you will, but I encourage you to give it a try. Whatever you’re sipping this summer, I hope it makes you happy!

Cantaloupe Gazpacho for Slackers

Original version from Aaron Hutcherson for the Washington Post

Ingredients:

  • I cantaloupe (4-5 cups) peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
  • 2 mini cucumber cut into chunks
  • I orange bell pepper seeded and cut into chunks
  • 1 garlic clove grated or minced
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 TBSP sherry vinegar (I used rice vinegar)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 Tbsp honey or hot honey (optional)

For the crispy prosciutto:

  • 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 oz sliced prosciutto

For the olive oil whipped cream:

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • Pinch fine sea salt

Overachievers will put a metal bowl in the fridge to chill for 20 minutes before whipping the cream. The rest of you, move on to the next step to make the gazpacho.

Into the blender, put the cantaloupe, cucumbers, bell pepper, garlic, olive oil, water and blend until smooth. Taste it and add the honey if it needs it.

Make the crispy prosciutto: Directions seem excessive here, but line a small plate with a paper towel near the stove. Warm the olive oil in a skillet until shimmering and add the prosciutto in a single layer. Flip with tongs until crisped and browned, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to the paper towel lined plate to let it crisp up.

Make the whipped cream:  Add cream, olive oil and salt to your chilled bowl (a bowl for us slackers) and whip the cream with beaters, hand held whisk attachment, a whisk—whatever you’ve got– until soft peaks form.

To serve:

Ladle up a bowl, add a dollop of cream and crumble some prosciutto on top.

The Substitutions (now this extra part I do like):

Honeydew melon for the cantaloupe, peeled regular cukes for the mini cukes, whatever color bell pepper you’ve got; red or white wine vinegar for the sherry vinegar (I used rice vinegar); Bacon for the prosciutto.

Make it Vegan: no bacon or use plant based; coconut cream vs dairy whipped cream; Maple syrup vs honey.  

Here’s the way the master makes it, which does make me rethink my low standards.

Lemon Cauliflower Couscous Charade

couscous2

Honest to lemony goodness!

I hate being duped. As when people say, “These black bean brownies or date/cocoa truffles or chickpea chocolate chip cookies will fool you!” I’m all about dates and black beans and chickpeas stretching themselves into baking pans, and dressing up as treats, but don’t try to pass them off as anything like the original. We’re friends. We can be honest on this.

So, with that little tirade out of the way we move on to cauliflower, the multitasking food imposter du jour. I tried in vain to make a palatable buffalo cauliflower, and my family breathed a fiery sigh of relief when I gave up. You have no doubt heard of cauliflower “rice,” made by pulverizing the florets in the food processor then cooking/steaming the whole shebang. It’s fine, but it’s not rice, and I resent being made to pretend it’s rice. However, when it comes to couscous, I’m all about pretending. After all, what is couscous but pasta pretending to be a grain? It’s such an understudy already that usurping its identity is almost a favor.

So cauliflower, come on in to my food processor and take the stage. A local Hanover High grad Ellen Jackson just came out with The Lemon Cookbook, and the Valley News published this recipe of hers. I’ve made it about four times, never entirely correctly, and loved it every time. Time #5 I actually took a picture. It’s great right away, a few hours later and the next day, and you have to work really hard to screw it up. I even made it with a bag of frozen cauliflower when the fresh stuff was going for $7 at the Coop. ($7? Do you have a hidden camera in the cruciferous section?) At any rate, all of the above makes it a Bring It all-star.

A few changes/notes, because we have to: The key to toasting the cauliflower well is ample surface area, so dig out your largest pan. (Yes, the one at the bottom of the pile. You’re a few weeks in to that beach body routine so I know you can do it.) Cauliflower heads vary wildly, and I got way more than 4 cups out of mine. I used it all, brushing that big, used pan lightly with oil and toasting the extra separately. I also don’t add the other 2 Tbsp of oil at the end of the recipe. Five Tbsp of oil in a vegetable dish puts us in the tempura range, and at that point you might as well just eat the fries you’d rather have anyway. Ok, here we go!

Toasted Cauliflower “Couscous” With Lemon, Parsley and Almonds

Makes 4 servings

  • 1 (2-pound) head cauliflower, cut into small florets with ½-inch or less of stem
  • 1/3 cup slivered or sliced almonds or pine nuts
  • 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided (my version uses 3, not divided)
  • 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 small garlic clove, finely grated or minced
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
  • 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 cup lightly packed flat-leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped (I use the curly variety because that’s what I had and I prefer its sassy attitude)
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Using a food processor with either the grating attachment or blade, grate or pulse the cauliflower in batches until it resembles grains of couscous. You should have about 4 cups. You can also use a knife to dice the florets, which will easily break into very small pieces as you go. (I got more like 7 cups from one head and used it all)

In a large, wide skillet over medium heat, toast the almonds, stirring frequently, until they smell nutty and are golden brown, about 7 minutes. Set the nuts aside and wipe out the pan.

Warm 3 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the cauliflower and salt. Sauté, stirring frequently, until the cauliflower pieces are toasted and tender, 12 to 15 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and immediately add the garlic and zest, stirring well to distribute the flavors throughout.

After the mixture has cooled slightly, add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil (or not), the lemon juice, almonds, and parsley. (While this was happening I toasted up the rest of the cauliflower and added it in. You can add a little more lemon juice to taste if you like, but it’s already darned lemony.)

Season with additional salt and pepper, and allow the cauliflower to sit for at least 15 minutes, partially covered, for the flavors to develop.

It is excellent at room temperature or can be rewarmed briefly over medium-high heat before serving.

Bringing it:

As with the making of this salad, you have to try pretty hard to mess it up in transport. And it’s good at room temperature. Hello picnics!