Peach and Tomato Gazpacho

We’re in full-swing summer here. If the heat didn’t remind me everyday, the farmer’s market sure does. Peaches, tomatoes, cucumbers..you could make a whole meal out of these alone. So that’s just what I did.

I riffed off my sister’s gazpacho staple- the one she makes every summer with her unending supply of tomato and freezes for easy dinners later in the year. She literally makes gallons of it. While I love appreciating tomatoes in other ways, I did find this gazpacho was perfect for a particularly unbearably hot, humid, and languid weekend. I modified my sister’s recipe slightly, adapting it to what I bought at the market and what tasted balanced. I had purchased too many peaches I could physically eat, so I had sliced the leftovers and frozen them, planning to use them in smoothies. Then I found out they make the perfect addition to this gazpacho, adding a welcome sweetness to acidic tomatoes. Plus, they kept the mixture cooler as it whirled away in the blender. Of course, feel free to use fresh peaches. I recommend cooling the mixture in the fridge for an hour or so for the most refreshing soup.

The cilantro pesto is optional, but delicious. It lends a fresh, spicy flair, but you could forgo it entirely for a sprinkling of chopped herbs or a swirl of basil pesto--whatever you have on hand!

Peach and Tomato Gazpacho

4 large tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 cup sliced peaches, fresh or frozen (about 1 ½ peaches)
1 cucumber, seeded and roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 slices whole grain bread, torn into pieces
½ lime, juiced
Salt and pepper to taste
Cilantro and Pepita Pesto, optional (or fresh cilantro, chopped, or basil pesto)

In blender of food processor, process tomatoes, peaches, cucumber, and garlic until pureed. Add bread and lime juice and blend again. Slowly stream in oil as motor is running. Add a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Taste to adjust seasoning. Drizzle with pesto, if using, or sprinkle with chopped fresh herbs. Serve immediately, or chill in refrigerator prior to serving. Serves 4 as a light meal.

Miso Pumpkin Tomato Soup with Roasted Garlic

I do not know a single soul who does not like roasted garlic. It takes all of the harshness out of the vampire repellent and mellows it into a soft, spreadable, slightly sweet and earthy treat. The hardest part really is turning on your oven. It is virtually a foolproof recipe that results in an impressive flavor bomb. For this recipe, I recommend roasting more garlic than you need since you already have your oven on, and then use the rest to spread on a crusty multi-grain bread or slather on pizza. Really good stuff.

I combine roasted garlic here with another favorite- tomato soup. But I dress the tomato soup up a little bit with pumpkin and miso, another umami-packed ingredient. I got the idea for the roasted garlic and miso addition to tomato soup from Emily Stoffel's Buttered Miso-Tomato Soup with Roasted Garlic + Togarashi posted originally on Gourmande in the Kitchen. Emily writes at another fabulous blog, The Pig & Quill. It just seemed like a yummy and rich combination that would not weigh you down. She tops hers with a lovely butter but I decided to blend in just a tablespoon at the end.  When added this way, it adds a pleasant lightness.  The seasonal pumpkin pumps up the nutrient level and adds extra creaminess and heft without extra fat.

You could serve this alongside grilled cheese or cheesy toast, but with the miso touch, I recommend serving it alongside some brown rice or another grain to round it out.

Miso Pumpkin Tomato Soup with Roasted Garlic

2 heads roasted garlic, cloves removed (see note below)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons miso paste (I used white)
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 cups water
1 28 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
1 tablespoon unsalted butter + salt and pepper to taste

Combine roasted garlic, 2 tablespoons olive oil miso paste, canned pumpkin, and tomato paste in medium pot over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until mixture begins to darken and become fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.

Add water and canned tomatoes, stirring to combine. Bring mixture to a boil, cover, then reduce to simmer. Allow to cook for 15 minutes.

Transfer mixture to a blender, add 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter, and carefully blend until desired smoothness is reached. An immersion blender can also be used. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper. Enjoy! Makes 4 servings.

Note: To roast garlic. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the very top portion off of two heads of garlic, exposing most of the cloves. Place garlic heads on foil, drizzle 2 teaspoons olive oil over top of exposed cloves, and sprinkle salt over each head. Close the foil up and roast garlic for 50 minutes or until soft. Remove from oven and allow to cool before squeezing cloves out of papery skins.

Saffron Tomato Jam

Those baskets of cherry tomatoes at the market are almost too pretty to eat. Almost. Still a little warm from the sun, they are summer's best candy. This little number cooks them down so that their juices caramelize just a bit and their natural sweetness comes out. The best part is that you do not even have to turn on the oven to make this magic happen. It is reminiscent of the flavors of a Spanish paella, but in a spread that you can smush on bread or dollop into all sorts of things like your morning eggs or your warm bowl of grains. It is rather addicting so do not be ashamed if you take your fork to it.

Saffron Tomato Jam

1/4 cup olive oil
1 small yellow onion, peeled and minced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
generous pinch of saffron threads
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 pounds cherry tomatoes, sliced in half or quarters if large
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat olive oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook 8-10 minutes or until onion is soft and translucent. Stir in spices and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add tomatoes and generous pinch of salt. Stir and when tomatoes start to release some liquid, reduce heat to medium. Continue to cook for 45-55 minutes or until tomatoes have broken down and become jammy. Stir often to prevent sticking. When just 2 minutes remain, stir in 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar. Remove pan from heat and allow to cool. Store in jars for up to two weeks in the fridge. Makes about 2 cups.

Barley and Quinoa Herbed Summer Salad with Cucumbers and Tomatoes

I take my tomatoes seriously. I will wait from late summer to late spring- what feels like an eternity- for their return to the farmers' markets. I resist buying the tomatoes from the grocery store from some place far away. And when I taste that first one in late June, I am reminded that the wait was worth it. Summer cherry tomatoes, still slightly warm from the sun, are too irresistible to not just pop right into my mouth, completely unaltered. But they can also bring a welcome acidity to so many summer salads, especially to those loaded with herbs.

I originally made this recipe as a dish to carry to a family potluck. I had grains and lentils stored in the fridge that I had cooked a few days prior and a new bounty of the first summer tomatoes, cucumbers, and herbs from the local farmers' market. The dish was so delicious, I made another batch when I got home. It is a delicious salad served alongside grilled foods or even with a hard-boiled egg. It may seem daunting to make two grains for a salad, but the texture you get from the chewy barley and nutty, almost crunchy quinoa combination is pretty awesome.

Barley and Quinoa Herb Summer Salad with Cucumbers and Tomatoes

1/3 cup cooked beluga lentils*
2/3 cup cooked pearl barley**
2/3 cup cooked quinoa***
2 English cucumbers, sliced lengthwise and then thinly sliced cross-wise in half-moon shapes
1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
1/2 cup crumbled feta (I used goat milk feta which I highly recommend)

Herbed Arugula Dressing
1 cup loosely packed arugula
1/2 cup loosely packed basil leaves
1/4 cup loosely packed mint leaves
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 garlic clove, peeled
1/2 teaspoon of salt, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Combine barley, quinoa, lentils, cucumbers, and tomatoes in a large bowl.

Make the herb dressing: Add all dressing ingredients to a mini food processor and blitz until mostly smooth.

Pour the dressing over the ingredients in the bowl and stir gently to combine. Sprinkle with pine nuts and crumbed feta. Stir until mixed. Taste and adjust salt. Enjoy! Serves 4-6. 

* To cook beluga lentils: Use the ratio 1 part beluga lentils to 4 cups water. Rinse the lentils under running water and drain. Add lentils and fresh water to pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, checking the texture around 15 minutes. You want a firm but not crunchy lentil. When lentils reach desired doneness, drain lentils, and set aside. 1 cup uncooked lentils yields about 2 cups cooked lentils.
** To cook pearl barley: Use the ratio of 1 part pearl barley to 3 parts water. Bring the water and barley to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and allow to cook for 30-35 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and allow to rest for 10 minutes before removing the lid. 1 cup of uncooked pearl barley yields about 3 cups of cooked pearly barley.
*** To cook quinoa: Use the ratio 1 part quinoa to 1.5 parts water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Add the quinoa, stir, and cover pot. Reduce heat to low, and allow to cook for 25 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and set aside for 10 minutes before removing the lid. 1 cup of uncooked quinoa yields about 3 cups cooked quinoa.