August 9, 2011

A Mid-Summer Dinner in Cooperstown with Perfect Salmorejo {Naptime Entertaining}

Salmorejo I am currently in Cooperstown on vacation so I am stopping in with a few great recipes and shorter posts this week and next. When my daughter naps on vacation I am generally away from my computer having fun cooking with my Mom, canning with Dad and catching up on the latest editions of Vogue and House Beautiful! At night, when I usually work, I am out with old friends!

On that note, I wanted to drop in today to share a fabulous recipe from the most recent Bon Appetit and a great menu we had at a dinner party last week. It was a bit of a potluck situation where three families brought dishes to my friend Peggy’s house for dinner. All of the dishes we brought were easily made during naptime earlier in the day. Truth be told, they could even had been made the night before after my daughter had gone to bed if I had to make them further in advance. Since the weather has been hotter than usual up here I elected to make a cold salmorejo, a chilled Spanish tomato soup that is a close cousin of gazpacho. This recipe, as stated about, is from Bon Appetit and my friend Caroline made it for us recently at their house. It was so fabulous I was waiting for an excuse to make it again and this was definitely the perfect occasion. During naptime I prepped the tomatoes and assembled the soup in the food processor in less than 20 minutes. I chilled it for the afternoon in an everyday plastic pitcher and transported it to the party in that same vessel. To serve, I poured portions into individual glasses and topped each with slices of prosciutto. It was perhaps the simplest cold soup recipe on the planet and everyone loved it. It had a smooth, creamy texture from the bread with nutty undertones from the toasted almonds. I happened to find near perfect summer tomatoes at the farmer’s market and their sun-ripened flavor was so sweet I could’ve served it for dessert. As far as summer entertaining goes, this naptime-friendly soup is perfect. Make it ahead of time, enjoy it when you want. Your guests, and palate, will thank you for it.

Here is the Naptime Cooking-Friendly Menu from the Dinner Party: Salmorejo: A Spanish gazpacho that is perfect for making ahead of time. Deviled Eggs: Hard-boil the eggs ahead of time, prepare them a few hours before the event. Caprese Salad: Easy to assemble immediately prior to eating. Grilled Pork Tenderloin: Spice rubbed during naptime, grilled right before dinner. Hazelnut Gelato:Ideal for making far in advance during naptime!

Recipe

Cold Salmorejo

adapted from Bon Appetit

Ingredients

3 pounds ripe tomatoes, halved
3 toasted chopped 4x4x½ inch white bread slices
½ cup toasted slivered almonds
4 smashed garlic cloves
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
4 to 6 slices of Prosciutto

Instructions

1. Place the tomatoes in a strainer with a bowl underneath. Squeeze the liquid and solids out of the center of the tomato. Discard the solids and the seeds. Roughly chopped the tomatoes and add them to the bowl with the liquid.

2. Combine the toasted bread, almonds and garlic in a blender and pulse until chopped. Add the tomatoes with the liquid and puree until very smooth. With the blender running, add the vinegar and olive oil until the soup is completely emulsified. Taste for seasonings and add a pinch of salt and a dash of more vinegar if needed.

3. Chill soup for at least two hours. Pour into bowls or cups and serve garnished with Prosciutto slices. make about 4 servings

Naptime Notes

Naptime Recipe Serving ideas

This soup is very attractive served in little cups or mugs. In the magazine it is also garnished with egg, but we opted out because we already had deviled eggs on the table.

Naptime Stopwatch

15 minutes!

Naptime Reviews

This was a hit all around, especially because of the velvety texture!

8 Responses to “A Mid-Summer Dinner in Cooperstown with Perfect Salmorejo {Naptime Entertaining}”

  1. Marla says:

    This soup sounds awesome – love the almonds in there 🙂

  2. Georgia Pellegrini says:

    I love this gazpacho and had it in Spain but didn’t know the name of it until now! So good.

    • Anonymous says:

      Hi Georgia! This is a classic summer soup from Cordoba, my friends in Spain say it is a very common there. I LOVE it and recommend you give it a try. Also, do you spend time in upstate NY?

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  4. Jeanette says:

    I love gazpacho, so I’m sure I would really enjoy this chilled tomato soup. I am curious to taste how the almonds blend into this soup. Enjoy your vacation!

  5. Phoebe says:

    A BGSK favorite for sure!!! 

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