Dear Friends,
We are back from our travels .... recharged
and raring! But here is a refreshing change of
pace! Instead of spotlighting a wine, Renee has just
posted one of her original recipes, and we want to share it
with you. Go to her recipe archives for more
at www.thewineconsultant.com/recipearchives
Don't miss
the wine pairing suggestions at the bottom of this
page.
Watermelon
Gazpacho....Embellished!!!
What could be better than a refreshing cold soup
that doesn't require any actual cooking on a blazing hot
day? This bright soup has just an edge of sweetness
balanced by a touch of heat.
Serving Suggestions:
- It may be served as-is as a first course, or
alongside a green salad with toasty bread for a light
lunch or dinner.
- Alternatively, you can gussy it up a bit and
make it a main course by floating a few large,
butterflied and grilled spicy prawns in the middle a
shallow bowl; or, use some small bay shrimp
combined with fresh corn kernals and diced avocado to stick
with the "no cooking" theme.
- Not to mention that it would be a
lovely addition to a Sunday brunch menu with bagels and
smoked salmon...
Recipe:
2 1/2 lbs. seedless watermelon
(approximately 1/2 of a small, what's marketed as
"personal-sized" watermelon)
3 tablespoons fresh
lemon juice
1 tablespoon raspberry-infused
vinegar
1 teaspoon Tabasco
sauce
1/2 of a small
jicama, peeled and finely diced to yield 1 cup
1/2 of a medium sweet white or yellow
onion, finely diced to yield 1 cup
2 celery stalks, finely diced to yield 1
cup
1/2 to 1 whole jalepeno chile pepper,
seeded and minced to yield 1 to 3 tablespoons (adjust heat
level to taste)
10 mint leaves, snipped
into chiffonade
1/2 teaspoon fresh minced
garlic
1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white
pepper
Final Garnish:
Good quality extra virgin olive oil, as
needed.
Freshly ground black peppercorns, as
needed.
Sprigs of mint if desired.
Remove rind and any visible seeds from
watermelon and cut into large chunks. Liquefy the melon
in a blender. You should have about 5 cups of watermelon
puree.
Pour the watermelon liquid into a large
bowl and add all of the remaining ingredients except for the
final garnish. Adjust salt, acid (more lemon juice
or plain white vinegar) and heat level to your
liking. Chill in the refrigerator at least one hour
before serving. Spoon chilled soup in pretty ceramic or
glass bowls or large mugs. Drizzle with
a light touch of extra virgin olive oil and a
few twists of black pepper.
Yield: 6-7
cups
Helpful
tips:
After you dice the onions, rinse them in
a colander under cold water to freshen them up by removing the
sulphuric compounds. Pat dry with a paper towel before
adding to the soup.
For grilled spicy prawns, see the
"Rub-a-Dub-Dub" recipe in the archives for the seasoning.
To prepare fancy toast: Split sections of
baguette horizontally and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle
with paprika (smoked pimenton is especially nice) and a pinch
of sea salt. Grill or toast under a broiler.
Wine Suggestions:
Unoaked, just off-dry, fruity, young
whites, rose, or sparkling -
Examples:
06 McPrice-Myers Viognier
Larner Vineyard, Santa Barbara - $24.95 NET
06 Leitz Riesling
Rudensheimer Klosterlay, Rheingau, Germany -
$20.95
