CONFESSION:This is the first gazpacho recipe I’ve truly ever liked!
Cold soup is not my first choice when I see it on a menu at a restaurant, but I promise, this one is different. I’m not sure if it’s the saturated party pumpernickel bread, the saltiness of the olives and creamy avocados, the crunch of the celery, cucumber, and green pepper, or the three different vinegars, but this recipe is delicious. It’s like a fancy bloody Mary in a bowl, minus the vodka. (Hmmm…something to consider.)
My mother-in-law, Beverly Register, passed this recipe on to me from her friend Sarah Ellen Archie, from New Bern, North Carolina. I’m not sure where Sarah Ellen got the recipe, but it’s definitely worth sharing with anyone you know.
“The best recipes are ones that are worthy of crossing state lines.”
With the heat index at 100 degrees, I can’t think of a better week to post this tried-and-true summer delicacy.
Bev’s Gazpacho
Makes 3 ½ quarts
½ (16-ounce) loaf party pumpernickel bread (diced)
1/3 cup olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup tarragon vinegar
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
Dice 1 cup each:
Green onions
Green pepper
Cucumber
Celery
Cherry tomatoes
Green olives
64 ounces tomato juice, such as V8
Parsley, basil, and garlic to taste, chopped into small pieces, extra for garnish
Avocado (right before serving)
Olive oil
In a large (LARGE) bowl, combine all but the last two ingredients. Cover and chill for several hours or overnight. Add diced avocado and drizzle with olive oil right before serving. Garnish with fresh basil leaves.
Learn from Leslie: loaf party pumpernickel is the 3-inch square, thinly sliced bread used for appetizers found in most groceries in the bread or deli area.
Learn from Leslie:I chop all the veggies the day before and have them ready to go.It takes no time the next morning to add the remaining ingredients. Let it chill for several hours or overnight. I add the avocado right before serving.Serve for a crowd as a starter or a light lunch. On a hot summer night, serve it as a cold supper.And if you haven’t tried Topo Chicocarbonated mineral water, you need to. Thanks to Carol de la Torre for sharing this refreshing, new beverage with me. For you Birmingham folks, it’s available at the Piggly Wiggly in Crestline. Topo Chico, $1.25 (12-ounce) bottle.Also, this old-fashioned, adorable bottle would look pretty cute next to your Coronas at your next party.Stay cool! And have a happy and safe Fourth of July!I love your comments!
Children are smarter today than we ever were. For instance, Lily studied abroad last semester in Barcelona and traveled every weekend. She saw the world, literally. For Thanksgiving she picked Morocco for her destination. So Sallie’s first trip overseas was to Casablanca and Marrakesh with her father to visit Lily. I never would have thought of that, or to even ask. I need a college do-over.
I call shotgun!My only request was a photo of my two girls on a camel. And they delivered.
On Christmas morning I opened my gifts from the girls. They gave me four authentic Moroccan place mats, a decorative clay bead necklace, and a container of turmeric. So now that I’ve caught you up, welcome to this week’s post, Moroccan Made Easy.
These place mats are a party waiting to happen. My only regret is that I don’t have more!Shopping in Morocco looks like a lot of fun. I would have needed an extra suitcase or two!Turmeric can easily be found in the spice aisle at most grocery stores, but I love getting anything straight from the source!
I couldn’t wait to put together a menu to go with all of my treasures. By this time of year I’m craving warmth and sunlight. So I thought a colorful, tasty menu in a festive setting would brighten everyone’s week.
A basket full of tropical flowers with a few simple fruits is all you need for a quick centerpiece when having a Moroccan meal.Decorate a linen napkin with a couple of cinnamon sticks tied with jute.Warm Citrus and Rosemary Olives: just when you thought room temperature olives were good. It’s a new experience. Give them a try!
Warm Citrus and Rosemary Olives
Makes 2 cups
1 ½ cups assorted olives, without the pit
¼ cup olive oil
Peel of an orange, about ½-inch thick
2 to 3 fresh rosemary sprigs
Dash of red pepper flakes
In a medium nonstick skillet, warm olives and remaining ingredients. Serve immediately with toothpicks or picks.
Serve as an appetizer or along with the meal.
Moroccan Lemon Chicken Kabobs
Serves 4 to 6
2 pounds chicken tenders, cut into 1-inch pieces
The Marinade:
¼ cup olive oil
Juice from 2 lemons
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon cayenne
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Pinch of cinnamon
Lemon slices, halved
Place chicken pieces in a ziplock bag; set aside. Combine remaining ingredients, except lemon slices, in a small bowl; mix well. Pour over chicken, and evenly coat. Place in refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours.
Thread onto 6 skewers, alternating, occasionally, with the lemon slices.
Grill kabobs on medium to medium-high heat for 5 to 10 minutes per side or until thoroughly cooked.
Don’t be afraid to eat the grilled lemon halves. Not only do they flavor the chicken while grilling, but also they’re delicious. Platter by Earthborn Pottery, earthbornpottery.net
Casablanca Couscous
Serves 6
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup shallots, chopped
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 ½ cups couscous
½ cup golden raisins
½cup Marcona almonds, coarsely chopped, extra for garnish
¼ cup fresh mint, chopped, plus extra for garnish
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
Melt butter in a medium-size saucepan. Add shallots, and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add chicken broth; bring to a boil. Remove from heat, and add couscous. Cover and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Stir in raisins and next 4 ingredients.
Garnish with extra almonds and mint. Serve immediately.
Couscous is like magic. When you pour it into the warm, flavorful broth, cover, and remove from heat, it’s done! It does all its cooking off the burner. I love the combination of golden raisins, mint, and Marcona almonds.
Who wouldn’t want to eat these colorful kabobs? Healthy never looked so good!
Colorful Vegetable Kabobs
Serves 6
2 green peppers
2 red peppers
2 orange peppers
2 yellow peppers
1 large purple onion
1 large sweet yellow onion
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Cut each pepper and onion into uniform 1-inch square pieces. Place on skewer in order in which they are listed above. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Grill on medium to medium-high heat until slightly charred and tender.
By cutting the peppers and onions uniformly, you will cook all of it in the same amount of time.Cook the vegetable kabobs while you are cooking the chicken kabobs.
For an easy dessert, pick up a bag of ginger snaps or a carton of mint-chocolate chip ice cream, or both!
Jordan (Lily’s close friend and roommate) and Lily striking a pose.Sallie and Lily’s Moroccan MemoriesBe on the lookout for unique utensils, like this interesting cheese set. $60, Table Matters, tablematters.comI would love to hear from you. Don’t be shy about making comments or asking questions. I love getting mail! Leslie
Fresh fruits and flowers set the tone for this colorful event.
Nothing says party more than a chilled bottle of Champagne. During football season, Thanksgiving weekend, or anytime during the holidays, take time to set up an attractive mimosa bar. Start with a decorative tray and a variety of fresh juices, such as orange, pineapple, and cranberry, and of course, ice-cold Champagne. For those less festive folks, throw out a bottle of vodka.
A little humor never hurt anything.
A quick and easy appetizer to serve with a mimosa bar is Parmesan-Parsley Popcorn—which falls into my Emergency Appetizer recipe category. I always have these ingredients on hand. I love to serve such a simple nibble in an interesting container. It changes everything.
Even though I’ve never smoked a cigarette in my life, I am somehow obsessed with vintage ashtrays. Certain things jump out at you and there is no explanation—other than there is a sense of nostalgia to them. I feel they will soon be extinct.
Be on the lookout for unusual serving pieces like these vintage treasures.
A large vintage ashtray is the ideal size and shape for a snack like this popcorn, and it’s always good to do something unexpected. The best compliment you can get after a party is for one of your guests to tell a friend what you did. Give them something to talk about.
One bag of microwave popcorn, tossed with Parmesan and then topped with chopped parsley. Impressive, huh?Buttery saltines are always a crowd-pleaser; add a seasoning salt and they are over the top. Next time you have last-minute company, try Trader Joe’s Everything but the Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend on top of saltines dipped in melted butter. Bake for 25 minutes at 275 degrees. (Bake on a rack on top of a cookie sheet.)This blend of sesame and poppy seeds, sea salt, garlic, and onion is not just for bagels anymore.The buttered saltines will get extra crispy baking on a rack instead of directly on the baking sheet. Find one that fits comfortably on top of your baking sheet.And another really easy Emergency Appetizer is making a mad dash to the “olive garden” bar at your local grocery store. Spoon up a container of specialty olives, add a fancy lemon curl on top, and you are done. Voilà!
Somewhere near the ashtrays at most flea markets are the vintage ice trays—soon to be extinct too, thanks to modern-day ice machines. Look for an interesting ice tray shape, like this honeycomb-shaped one, to make a specialty cube to add to the bar. Pineapple juice freezes beautifully, and a cube of it will add a fresh taste to many of your concoctions without watering it down. Cranberry is a good choice too.
Small cubes are perfect for a skinny Champagne flute.Cranberry juice frozen in a unique ice-cube tray almost looks like fruit when dropped into a glass of Champagne. It flavors as it melts. It’s a two-for-one special.
When time allows, order funny, printed cocktail napkins or interesting, custom cocktail stirrers.
Custom stirrers are available from Etsy at etsy.com/shop/FranJohnsonHouse.How special are these stirrers?
Take advantage of fresh fruits and use them as a container for your garnishes, as I did here with the fresh pineapple. I simply cut a fresh pineapple in half, hollowed out the fruit from one side, and reserved the rest for garnish. You now have a beautiful bowl—that doesn’t need washing at the end of the night.
Decorate the bar with a pineapple bowl filled with the mimosa garnishes.
If hosting a special occasion with an honored guest, save one of the Champagne corks, place it in a mini glass shadow box, and let it be his or her party favor to remember the event. It will make the perfect keepsake. I buy these by the dozen—they come in handy for wine corks too. Thanks, Elizabeth, for sharing this idea with me years ago. (I have one sitting on my coffee table now that she gave me from our wedding.) It’s a thoughtful, easy gift. Your guests will be impressed.
This keepsake Cork Holder can be ordered from Mercantile + Co. at ggmercantileco.com.
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