Steve Raichlen's Grilled Gazpacho

After trying Cat Cora's grilled guacamole (which was fantastic!!!) I had to try this recipe when I saw it.  First, grilling brings out the flavor in most everything.  And, second, I've never tried a Steve Raichlen recipe that I didn't like.  I remember finding a cookbook he'd written in a little out of the way gift shop in Puerto Rico.  We were down there for a conference.  One day they let us out of class early enough that we could go exploring.  So, a bunch of us headed to El Yunque...  It was just amazing.  We climbed to the top of a wonderful tower. 

Where the view was incredible. 

And the windows were spaced close enough together that two goofy people could take photos of each other. 

There was a waterfall - which a few intrepid souls climbed up to. 

And, last but not least, there was a couple mile hike through the jungle - a good bit of it in hilly terrain.  Not my cup of tea.  I chose to stay behind and enjoy the sights and sounds at the base of the trail.  Very close by they had a little gift shop where I could hang out while Connie climbed.  The cookbook was Miami Spice.  I read the whole thing while the climbers did their thing.  But, alas, the gift shop only took cash and I, as usual, had only a few dollars in my pocket.  I kept looking for Miami Spice but couldn't find it.  Connie finally ordered it on Amazon for me.  What a nice surprise that was!  He's a sweetie!!!!  By the time I received Miami Spice, I'd already purchased another of Raichlen's cookbooks.  Now, I've got at least five of his.  They're all excellent and tend to be among the first cookbooks I turn to for barbecue. 

Now, on a side note.  Saturday , Sept 18th was talk like a pirate day.  The conference closing party was out on the beach and the attire was, drum roll please, pirate.  I love this photo of Connie and our friend Mike - talking like pirates!

Food and Wine first published this recipe in 2005.  I ran across it in The Dish - 10 Top Gazpachos.  But, you can find it on foodandwine.com.  This recipe was fun to make.  I mean, what's more fun than getting to play with your food?  First, you grill all the veggies, then you dig in with your hands and prep them for the gazpacho.  Then, you pop everything into the food processor and whir away.  Now, to find out what we thought of the end result, you'll have to wait for the Gazpacho Cookoff post.

 



Steve Raichlen's Grilled Gazpacho

Ingredients:

3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
3 large tomatoes
1 medium cucumber
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 medium sweet onion, unpeeled
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 T red wine vinegar
1/4 c chopped mixed herbs, plus more for garnish
1 c cold water
salt and freshly ground pepper


Directions:

Light your grill.  Wrap the garlic cloves in aluminum foil.  Put the onion on the grill over direct heat.  Set your timer for five minutes.  Add the garlic packet.  Wait another two minutes.  Add the rest of the vegetables. 

Grill for another eight minutes or until the skins on the peppers are nice and charred.  Make sure you turn the vegetables at least once so every side gets nice and charred. 

Let the vegetables cool. 

Remove the charred skins.  Seed the cucumbers.  Coarsely chop everything.  Put the vegetables into the food processor with the oil, vinegar and herbs. 

I used basil. 

Process until smooth. 

Add the water.  Pour into a storage container and refrigerate until chilled.  Please check out the Gazpacho Cookoff post for some changes I incorporated into this recipe.

adapted from Food and Wine


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This post is part of a series featuring recipes from the FOOD and WINE archive. As a FOOD and WINE Blogger Correspondent, I was chosen to do four recipes a week from FOOD and WINE. I received a subscription to FOOD and WINE for my participation.