Gazpacho in a Pitcher

From The Rosengarten Report by David Rosengarten. Copyright 2008 by David Rosengarten.

This is the real thing, straight from Spain and translated for us by the ever-diligent David Rosengarten . For the best results, puree the vegetables in a Vita-Mix and strain through an Anolon cone strainer. If a Vita-Mix and Anolon strainer are not in your cupboard, it is delicious simply whirred in a food processor or blender.

Serves 4

makes 4 cocktail servings

• 2 ounces stale Italian or French bread, with crust
• 1/2 lb. ripe tomatoes, stems removed
• 1/4 lb. Vidalia onion
• 1/4 lb. cucumber
• 1/4 lb. green bell pepper
• 1/4 lb. red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon vinegar de Jerez

1. Break the bread into large chunks, place chunks in a bowl, and cover with cold water (about 1 1/2 cups). Soak until the bread is fairly soft, but not mushy, about 1-2 minutes. Squeeze the water out of the bread with your hands, and place bread in the container of the Vita-Mix.

2. Cut the tomatoes in quarters, and scooppout the seeds with your fingers. Discard seeds. Cut tomatoes in large cubes (you should have about 1 1/2 cups), and add to container.

3. Peel the onion, and cut into large dice (you should have about 1 cup). Add onion to container.

4. Peel the cucumber and cut in half the long way. Scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon, and discard seeds. Cut cucumber into large dice (you should have about 2/3 cup), and add to container.

5. Remove the stems and seeds from the green bell pepper and the red bell pepper. Cut each into large dice (you should have about 1 cup of diced green pepper, and about 1 cup of diced red pepper). Add cut peppers to the container.

6. Add olive oil and sherry vinegar. Turn Vita-Mix on at low speed, then ratchet up to high. Blend on high untikl the mixture is very smooth and velvety, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper, then blend on high for a few seconds more.

7. Pour the gazpacho through the Analon Cone Strainer into glasses, or into a pitcher. Push gazpacho through the strainer with a spatula or wooden spoon. But it is important that you do not force through every last drop; leave the last bits of bready sediment behind in the strainer. Discard periodically. And don't scrape the gazpacho film that's on the bottom of the strainer into the finished gazpacho; simply clean your strainer under cold running water every few minutes, washing off the gazpacho film into the sink.

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