More Fun With TK

Last month it was my turn again to select the cookbook for our monthly cookbook club at work.  I knew immediately what it would be: ad hoc at home.  I've been making recipes from the book since last fall and haven't made a dud yet, so it seemed like a good bet for the foodies I work with.  I mused for a bit about whether to choose a recipe I've made before or go with something untried.  I decided on the latter and, it being summer and all (I know this to be the case because of the month portrayed on my calendar, NOT because the weather in any way indicates it to be so), I decided on gazpacho.

Of course, Thomas Keller's gazpacho is different.  Why? Because he's Thomas Keller.  He uses Sun Gold tomatoes for their sweetness, yellow bell peppers for their mild flavor and complementary color, English cucumbers (because I couldn't locate the preferred Armenian cucumbers) for their minimal seeds, piment d'Espelette (which I also couldn't find) because it's hard to find, sherry vinegar because it's expensive......  You get the idea.  And yet, as anticipated, the greatest challenge ended up being the process.

Cut everything up, let it rest in a bowl with some water.  Put it in your $400 Vita-mix (or newly purchased $60 Oster) blender and puree in batches.  Then, because you don't own a fine mesh conical strainer through which to quickly and efficiently strain the fruit from the skins, scoop medium amounts of the puree into your mesh sieve and slowly and laboriously press, press, press the veggie slushie with your silicone spatula until you are left with a pulpy mess in the sieve and a golden liquid in the bowl.  Repeat about 13 times.  Return the golden liquid to the blender and emulsify with copious quantities of extra virgin olive oil, a little vinegar, seasonings (in this case substituting New Mexico red chile powder for piment d'Espelette), and chill.

Just for the fun of it, because you accidently bought 4 loaves of brioche and you have tons of time on your hands, make some cumin scented croutons to add to the garnish.  Don't forget to trim the crust from the bread, of course, because who wants sloppy corners on their croutons?!

In the end the soup was delicious and the texture unlike any gazpacho I have had or made; silky, rich and creamy.  It got rave reviews at the lunch and I was happy that I'd doubled the recipe so that I could serve it alongside TK's grilled cheese sandwiches (note: I did not trim the crusts because who makes crustless sandwiches other than TK for god's sake!) and slightly charred sweet potato chips for dinner the following night.