Salmorejo, a less known cousin of gazpacho

Salmorejo is one of the varied cold soups that are common in many regions of Spain, especially in the South, where they originated. This particular soup originates in the Córdoba province, Andalusia. Maybe it's not as popular as gazpacho outside of Córdoba, but I've decided to include it here because it's my favourite among these cold soups. For me it's unmistakably related to summer... salmorejo in a warm night, in my veranda...


What makes salmorejo different from gazpacho? There are a couple of differences:

• The only vegetable in salmorejo is tomato (along with garlic), while gazpacho always includes at least green pepper and also cucumber and onion.
• Salmorejo is usually thicker than gazpacho. In some places it's so thick that it's used more as a dip. I know people who use potato chips to eat it.

Let's get to making delicious salmorejo. You won't regret it:

Salmorejo

• 1 kg ripe tomatoes (the riper the best, much better if they're organic)
• 1 or 2 cloves garlic (add 1 if you're not a garlic lover and 2 if you fear some vampires to be hanging around...)
• 100 g white bread crumb
• 30 g vinegar (I use apple vinegar, be careful when adding, better start with 20 g)
• 150 g virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp good sea salt

Use a food processor or sturdy blender for this. Start the processor or blender on medium speed and add the garlic, so that it gets finely minced. Add the tomatoes. If your machine is powerful enough, you won't need to previously scald, peel and deseed the tomatoes. The texture of a real salmorejo is silky smooth, without a hint of peel or seeds. You can choose to be a purist or not... I'm not a purist, that's why tiny bits of seeds and bread can be seen in my salmorejo. Also you're supposed to use the bread crumb only, not the crust, but I use everything. Fine, then process the tomatoes to a very smooth puree. Add the salt, the bread and the vinegar and process until pureed. Then start pouring the oil with the machine on, for the oil to emulsify with the rest of the mixture.


And you're done! Put in the fridge to chill thoroughly. I find that the flavour is best if you let the salmorejo stand overnight in the fridge. All the ingredients' flavours meld somehow and the result is wonderful. The typical garnish for serving salmorejo is hard-boiled eggs and Spanish ham, both chopped in small pieces, added to each bowl at the time of serving.

I know Spanish gourmets would sneer at me, but if you have your salmorejo with a tall glass of tinto de verano... then you'll be getting closer to heaven.

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Mascarpone and apricot curd ice pops

The equation is as follows: unbearable heat + boiling neurons + not feeling very much like cooking = cold and very simple dishes. If you have some leftover mascarpone and a jar of apricot curd that's almost coming alive... chip, chip, the brain slowly starts to work... chip, chip... why not mix both things and freeze them inside some IKEA ice pop molds I've never used? I'm exhausted of so much thinking. If you add the effort of searching for the molds-you-remember-are-somewhere-deep-in-the-kitchen-cupboard-but-seen-long-ago-for-the-last-time... well, I'm short-circuited. The amounts given yield only four small pops (remember I was using up leftovers, that's all there was).


Mascarpone and apricot curd ice pops

• 100 g mascarpone
• 100 g apricot curd (any curd would do)
• Peel of half lemon
  

Mix everything and beat well. Pour the mixture into the molds and put them in the freezer. These pops won't win a Food prize, but I can assure you they're delicious, very creamy thanks to the cheese and the butter in the curd. And also they're crisis ice pops, taking advantage of half the leftovers in my fridge... therefore it won't be on my conscience. Because of the saving and as long as I ignore the fat migrating to my yogurt buns...

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Bean and smoked salmon salad

I know I'm not being original (am I ever?) with my proposal today, but this weather prevents me from thinking hard... and also nobody feels like having anything remotely warm. I can't even think of using the oven. I've been wanting to bake bread for some days, but I don't even dare because when the kitchen is over 90 ºF my brain malfunctions. And let's not talk about elaborate recipes... I don't remember the last time I felt so lazy. On the other hand, this dish is a very lovely option to eat pulses in the summer, a very important part of the Mediterranean diet. Beans, chickpeas and the like are cooked in stews during cold weather, with lots of meat, Spanish ham and chorizo, only this type of dish is not exactly what you feel like eating right now...


So this is a very simple and traditional recipe, only somewhat tweaked with a special vinaigrette. It's a good chance to use up some of the beans I brought from my holiday in Asturias, called "cena del cura" beans, meaning "priest's supper". I brought with me loads of beans and chickpeas. Yes, it's time to stock up with food for the winter.

Bean and smoked salmon salad

• 100 g beans
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 bay leaf
  
• 100 g good smoked salmon
  
• 1 tsp honey
  
• 2 tsp mustard (I used Dijon)
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  
• 1/2 cup virgin olive oil
  
• Salt to taste
  

You know I love to pretend I'm original, so I decided to make a different vinaigrette from the classical Spanish one, with just olive oil, plain vinegar, garlic and minced green pepper. I opted for a mustard vinaigrette. I love their sweet-sour touch. I found this vinaigrette delicious, in spite of the sickly colour resulting from the mixture of the yellow mustard and the brown balsamic vinegar... ahem. Serious, the color looks so unhealthy that I didn't dare to take a picture. I didn't want you to think that I added motorcycle oil to the salad. The amounts for the vinaigrette yield a fair amount of mixture, while the weight of beans corresponds to only 2 servings (of course my kids wouldn't even get near the salad). Adjust both to the number of guests.



Well, leave the beans to soak overnight, this makes the boiling much shorter. The next day put them in a pot with cold water and bring them to a boil, along with a couple of cloves of garlic and a bay leaf, as long as needed to tenderize the beans. The boiling time will depend on the kind of bean and its freshness. Then put off the heat and leave them aside to cool while you prepare the vinaigrette. You can salt the beans at the end or at mid-boiling. Mix all the vinaigrette ingredients except the salt. Mix thoroughly, till all the oil is emulsifyed. I like the mayonnaise-like consistency of mustard vinaigrettes. Lastly add the salt little by little, tasting to adjust. The color and sweetness of this vinaigrette, added to the beans, reminded me of baked beans. It's a pity that these beans lose their nice yellow color after boiling.

But... what I really loved about cooking this dish: to use my brand new pastry rings for the setting... wow! Such a beautiful thing. Mix the beans with the vinaigrette in a bowl, with as much dressing as you prefer, and stir well. Put the ring on the plate (I oiled the inside, I'm not sure it's necessary) and then... what an excitement! Pour half the vinaigrette beans inside. Nicely lay the smoked salmon on top, cut in whatever size you prefer. Then flatten the assembly slightly, lift the ring... et voilà! These simple pleasures make me so happy... :-)

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A summer in the North

I love to head North in the summer. The dog days in the Spanish plateau... mean heat, heat and more heat. I can't resist the freshness of the Northern nights. These season we've spent wonderful days and cool nights at the Picos de Europa and also in Galicia.

We've visited the home of hundred-year-old chestnut trees...


(Watch out hobbits, get out of the way, a nâzgul is coming...)


We've also met Nature's most terrifying face...


We've found little markets brimming with scrumptious food...


We've crossed deep mountain gorges...


We've visited shops that look like a piece of art in themselves...


We've stopped at the setting of some of the best sunsets in the world...


And last but not least, we've enjoyed the exaltation of some local produce in Galicia...


These "exaltations" (exaltación in Spanish and Galician) are an attraction of their own. They are food festivals, used as an excuse to get yourself stuffed with excellent food and drink, that are very popular all over Galicia and are celebrated the whole year long. Whatever the season, you'll surely find an "exaltación" that suits your taste: tuna fish (I already talked about this one here), "tetilla" cheese, turnip greens, Galician pancakes, sardines, octopus, Cea bread, Albariño wine...

There are so many excellent local products in Galicia that it is difficult to spend some days there and not stumble upon one of these festivals. These summer we stumbled upon some mussels "exaltación" at the little town of Boiro. The festival was set in a large marquee with long tables to be shared and surrounded by counters where the drinks and the food were served. The food consisted of a plate with mussels cooked in two ways. You were also given a little recipe book on request. Of course I did request it. The plate reads: VIII Exaltación do mexillón, 2009 Boiro, Cabo de Cruz... I can bring the plate to my table at any celebration, whenever the conversation is declining. I also have an earthenware plate from Buño I got at a sardine "exaltación" ages ago and a couple of wine tumblers from an Albariño wine festival. By exalting here and there you can gather a whole trousseau... But although we visit Galicia almost every year, I don't exalt much lately. It's my children's fault, they're not keen "exaltators"... a real shame.

My holidays are over, but I don't really care... I'm already thinking about the culinary possibilities of my favourite season: Autumn. See you then.

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