In the wake of all the tragic news stories of this past week, including three horrific events that occurred in the Orlando, Florida area, it seemed somewhat frivolous to write an upbeat and lyrical post about a dish you need to make in your kitchen, pronto.
For those of us who were only spectators to these tragedies, our lives go on. But for those families whose loved ones were senselessly murdered, or the victim of a freak accident that can even happen in “the happiest place in the world”, the landscape of their future is forever changed. In the blink of an eye. It is truly hard to fathom. My heart is heavy for the victims and their families.
When I was thinking about whether or not to proceed with my recipe post, it struck me that the dish made in my kitchen this week came about from a good place. It was inspired by a kind gesture from my friend and neighbor, Charity. It’s a positive message to end a week filled with so much anger and upset. And so even though it’s small by scale, I am going to share it.
Charity sent me a text asking if I would like a quart of strawberries she just picked from her garden. A small gesture of kindness that ironically reached me on an important anniversary in my life which Charity couldn’t possibly have known. It made the gesture even more meaningful to me…
Charity’s strawberries came in all sizes. They never saw the chill of the refrigerator and burst with the warmth and sweetness you can only find at farm stands and the gardens of your generous friends at this time of year…
Expressions of kindness and caring about the welfare of others in general remind me of a song we used to sing at camp called, “No Man Is An Island” that has been covered by many artists. Do you know it? It was always beautiful and reassuring to sing when I was a teenager. The lyrics still make me tear up, especially during difficult times such as these. Here’s the first verse…
No man is an island
No man stands alone
Each man’s joy is joy to me
Each man’s grief is my own
We need one another, so I will defend
Each man as my brother
Each man as my friend
I returned Charity’s kindness to my husband who had been traveling all last week and needed something home cooked, especially something he loved which happens to be gazpacho. Strawberry Gazpacho is a cold soup that some readers of my blog, Jean and Hannah prepared when they invited me to dinner last year. The recipe actually came from a magazine published by the Hannaford Brothers grocery chain and I’ve only tweaked it a bit. Charity’s strawberries served as the soup’s sweet foundation and were joined by tomatoes, cucumbers, shallots, toasted bread cubes for a little heft and some balsamic vinegar and olive oil…
I made a second batch with strawberries freshly picked at one of the farms in my town to share with my tennis team after our last match…
Maybe you can make a batch and share it with someone you love soon.
Until next week…
One Year Ago: South End Open Market at SOWA
Two Years Ago: Jumbo Shrimp with Lemon and Garlic
Adapted every so slightly from a Hannaford Brothers recipe. Fresh strawberries provide just a hint of sweetness to this gazpacho that comes together in a flash and is both light and refreshing.
Ingredients
- 2 cups, 1/4 inch diced bread cubes
- 1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled
- 1 hothouse cucumber, washed, seeded and diced
- 1 large or 2 small shallots, chopped
- 1, 28-ounce can best quality peeled whole tomatoes with juices (see notes)
- 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Diced Avocado for garnish
- Sliced fresh basil, as much as you like
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place bread cubes on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until just golden, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool, about 5 minutes.
- In a food processor, combine half the strawberries, half the cucumber, half the shallots, tomatoes and juices, 1 cup of the toasted bread cubes, vinegar, oil, salt and pepper. Blend until very smooth. Transfer to a bowl or large storage container.
- Dice the remaining strawberries and add to the soup with the remaining cucumber and shallot. Stir to distribute.
- Chill in the refrigerator until very cold, about 1 hour and up to overnight.
- Serve chilled, ladled into bowl and garnished with remaining toasted bread crumbs, avocado and basil.
Tips from The Kitchen Scout
If you would rather use fresh tomatoes, you could try about 3 cups of diced Roma tomatoes and 1 cup of best quality tomato juice. This is just an estimate!
I loved this post and also loved the Strawberry Gazpacho – – it achieves the perfect balance between the strawberry and the tomato!
Thanks Tenney! I appreciate your posting a comment!!! xo