{Atlanta Plugged In}: The Perfect Summer BBQ

Summer has (unofficially) been on the horizon since Memorial Day and will make its official debut in a matter of days.  Despite the accompanying heat waves and humidity that typically mark this time of year, it's the perfect season for casual entertaining, dining al fresco, and everyone's favorite: barbecues. 

Last week I had the thrill of appearing on Atlanta Plugged In to share some of my favorite recipes and tips for hosting--and enjoying--The Perfect Summer BBQ.  (Awesome, huh?!) 

It was such a great time of sharing food, tips, cheers and laughs.  And in case you missed it, I'm sharing the video clip from the day below--along with the featured recipes that were also a hit at my previous Summer Pop Up Cooking School!

A creative twist on traditional BBQ fare, I know you'll enjoy them as much as we all did.

WATCH HERE ~ 
Atlanta Plugged In: The Perfect Summer BBQ

MAKE ~
Sangria Mocktails
Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho
Gourmet Meatball Sliders (Recipe coming soon!)
Berry & Balsamic Shortcakes

Happy Eating!

 

Summer's Best: Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho with Toasted Breadcrumbs

The final day of Summer has arrived.  As we say farewell to the season that's served us well on the food, travel, entertaining and fashion fronts, I couldn't think of a more apropos dish to savor than a fresh, vibrant, chilled gazpacho.  And not just any gazpacho--but one with juicy, colorful, seasonal, creme dela creme, heirloom tomatoes.  It's all the goodness of a traditional tomato gazpacho--turned up a notch.

This soup couldn't be easier to bring together and delivers both rich flavor and great texture from the vegetables. (I consider it a vegetable garden in a bowl.)  And I'll add that it was a hit at last Summer's Pop-Up Cooking School, so you can't go wrong.

If you're looking for that one final taste of Summer that's worth savoring, this. is. it.

Happy Eating!

Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho with Toasted Breadcrumbs
Ingredients:

3-5 heirloom tomatoes
1 hothouse cucumber

1 sweet bell pepper, cored and seeded

½ red onion

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 cups tomato juice

¼ cup red wine vinegar

¼ cup, plus two tablespoons, extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Juice of ½ lime

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for breadcrumbs

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Baguette or other crusty bread (for breadcrumbs)

Method:

 
For the Gazpacho:

Roughly chop the cucumber, bell pepper, tomatoes, jalapeno and red onion into 1-inch cubes. Put each vegetable separately into a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until it is coarsely chopped. Do not over process!

After each vegetable is processed, combine them in a large bowl and add the garlic, tomato juice, vinegar, oil, salt, pepper, lime and Worcestershire. Mix well and chill before serving.  

For the Breadcrumbs:

Slice bread into 1-inch cubes.  Heat two tablespoons of oil in a medium skillet.   Toss in cubes and begin to sauté until golden brown and season with salt and pepper. 

Before serving, garnish the gazpacho with the toasted breadcrumbs.  Enjoy!

 

Soup-er Delicious Gazpacho

Sometimes my inspiration for a dish comes from nothing other than a craving for certain flavors and foods.  And such was the case on a recent Sunday afternoon.  I began craving, without exaggeration, the flavors that combine beautifully to create gazpacho.  Fresh tomatoes, English cucumber, peppers, shallot, garlic, and an acidic tang with a hint of spice.  Gazpacho, right?  Well, that's where my cravings led me--and happily so.

Because that Sunday afternoon was the Sunday following a Saturday trip to the farmer's market, I had all of my ingredients on hand.  (This is nothing short of a true feat when it comes to impromptu cooking in my kitchen.)  I did improvise a bit, substituting the traditional red onion for the shallot in my pantry, but nothing was lost in translation.

What I was craving was fresh, flavorful and good-for-you scrumptious eating that celebrated the best of simple,  yet in-depth, tastes.  And going from craving to satisfaction in mere moments was a welcomed bonus.  This soup comes together as fast as you can grab and chop your vegetables, toss them in the blender or food processor, toss in your seasonings and puree away.

If you need any final convincing that this soup is not-to-be-missed, then consider that it's perfect for cooling down on hot days and works well as a meal-in-one (I like to pair it with toasted breadcrumbs or herbed pita bread), or as a soup course for your favorite Summer menu.

I'm raving over it because I enjoy it that much, and I'm sure you will, too.

Happy Eating!

Gazpacho

Ingredients:

2 lbs. Roma tomatoes, chopped 

1/2 English cucumber, peeled and chopped

1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped

2 medium shallots, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped (optional)

1/4 cup sherry vinegar

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Juice of 1/2 lemon 

Fresh basil strips, for garnish

Method:

Place tomatoes, cucumber, pepper, shallots, jalapeno and garlic in a processor or blender and pulse to coarsely chop ingredients.  Add in vinegar, olive oil, Worcestershire, lemon juice, salt and pepper and continue processing until mixture is liquefied.  Add additional seasoning, to taste, as desired.  Chill, garnish with basil and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Epicurious