Maybe the Arabs brought gazpacho to Spain, although some think it might be older, from the Romans. There are countless versions across the Iberian Peninsula, and most include bread. The ancient soup is thought to have originally been just stale bread soaked in vinegar.
But with powerful blenders and refrigeration, gazpacho evolved to a smooth, vegetable, and olive oil emulsion flavored with vinegar. In the hot Andalusian summers, a lighter gazpacho leaves out the bread and is served ice cold to act as a tonic against the heat.
The classic style served in Seville, thin and thirst-quenching, contains just tomatoes, cucumber, onion, peppers, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and salt. Stone fruit can add the same sweetly acidic note as tomatoes, like in this version with peaches.
Melons aren’t as common, but they make good gazpacho, and the blended cold soup is the best use for the less-than-perfect melons all too common in the grocery store. The tomatillos are completely inauthentic, but they provide both a tangy flavor and a nod to the Americas ravaged by the conquistadors.
Seed and peel a honeydew or other green fleshed melon (orange-fleshed melons work fine, but the color won’t be so vibrant). Cut it into chunks, then add it to blender with quartered tomatillos (take them out of their peppery shell and wash them first), an Anaheim chile, some green onions, Katz Sauvignon Blanc vinegar, and a pinch of salt. Blitz until it’s completely blended, then add the olive oil while the motor’s running and let the mix emulsify. Taste for salt, chill and serve with a pitcher of ice water for thinning to a drinkable consistency.
We have so many events on the horizon. Wine tasting with some of our favorite purveyors, vermouth class, how to make a cheese board with our favorite cheese monger as well as a festival of tomato ! We are working on our calendar as we speak but wanted to give you a heads up for some of the fun stuff coming down the pipe here at Wellspent Market. We’ll be releasing events and dates soon, so make sure to check back on our events calendar each week!
We still have a few shares left of our Olive Oil CSA! Grab one now before our container arrives later this summer.
Our Olive Oil CSA helps to support our small farm partners. It works like this: Early in the year you buy a CSA share for $100. We use the cash to pay the farmers, and when the season’s olive oil arrives here, that share is worth $120. It’s good for anything we sell at Wellspent Market, not just olive oil. Money well spent indeed!
We’ve got a lot of fun stuff happening this summer, including new product drops, wine tastings, and even a few exciting collaborations in the works. We want to get as many folks involved as possible, and in an effort to grow our community we’re offering you a 10% discount when you get a friend to sign up for our newsletter.
! We are working on our calendar as we speak but wanted to give you a heads up for some of the fun stuff coming down the pipe here at Wellspent Market. We’ll be releasing events and dates soon, so make sure to check back on our events calendar each week!
