I hesitate to mention the heat, but that's my reality right now. It was 110 degrees yesterday, causing the death of people in Stockton, a town near us. So, the prickly heat all over my body and in my scalp seems very minor now. But, I simply did not want to cook anything, so once again I turned to my Mustards Grill Napa Valley Cookbook for their grape and almond gazpacho recipe.
Actually, I've seen several different recipes for grape gazpacho
recently. It must be a trendy dish. I decided to fix this version
before it jumps the shark or I receive a cease and desist order from
Mustards Grill to stop posting so many of their recipes on my blog.
Yes, I'm sure my influence is major and my tiny little blog reaches all
the way to Mustards' ears.
I was intrigued when I first read this recipe because it calls for two pounds of green grapes. I wondered if it would be too sweet. But having confidence in Cindy Pawlcyn, the owner of Mustards Grill, I figured she balanced contrasting flavors to create something very refreshing. And she did. The soup is slightly sweet, but acidic, and delicious.
It has a nice texture, even though everything is dumped into a food processor or blender. It was smooth, but a little crunchy.
The soup was garnished with a few cucumber slices and some pineapple sage flowers from my garden. I served the soup with tomato sandwiches, but I think it would be even better with grilled chicken or meat. I had hoped that there would be some soup left over for tomorrow, but it was too good to last long.
Grape and Almond Gazpacho
2 pounds seedless green grapes
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped
1/4 almonds, toasted
2 scallions. white and green parts only, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup plain yogurt
3 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 to 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
2 large dill sprigs, minced
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
garnishes
minced chives, thin cucumber slices, dill, sage or chive flowers
Combine the grapes, cucumbers, almonds, scallions, vinegar, yogurt, cream cheese, olive oil, and buttermilk in a blender, or food processor. process until almost smooth, with just a bit of texture remaining. Stir in salt, white pepper, cayenne and dill. Cover and refrigerate until very cold. Serve in cold bowls and garnish..
110 degrees!! I found two days of 100 degree heat overwhelming, so I can't begin to imagine 110.
This soup looks lovely (love the garnish!) and Mustards Grill should be thanking you for giving their cookbook such glowing publicity. You've made me decide to purchase it and I know I'm not the only one.
Posted by: Julie | July 24, 2006 at 04:09 AM
Looks delicious, but if it's 110 out I'm not eating anything but popsicles.
Posted by: steven | July 24, 2006 at 05:18 AM
Now see - here is a recipe I will probably not try. Not because it doesn't look or sound good, but because the family would revolt if I told them I was going to serve grapes and cucumbers in the same dish. I suppose that I could just feed it to them, then confess...
Posted by: Rosie | July 24, 2006 at 07:23 AM
yummy, right?
almond soup is the greatest summer soup ever!
the color of those sage blossoms is INSANE!!
are they really that fuschia?
what does pineapple sage taste like?
Posted by: ann | July 24, 2006 at 08:45 AM
It was near 100 degrees here in Seattle but nothing like what you're going thru! Man, this soup looks tasty. I'm gonna give it a go, once my car is out of the shop and I can grocery shop again.
Posted by: Shannon | July 24, 2006 at 08:48 AM
Last night I talked to a dear friend who also lives in Davis and was told that it's not cooling off at night either. Something that doesn't happen very often. Even though I'm enjoying our sunshine up here, I'm now wishing for the fog so the cooling breezes will be pushed up the delta to cool you guys off.
Beautiful photo, divine sounding soup!
Posted by: Christine | July 24, 2006 at 09:26 AM
holysmokes, YUM what an interesting soup. i've never seen anything like that before. it sounds *amazing*! i can already imagine how cool and creamy...
hope it cools down soon too, downtown was rediculous on saturday and the AC was out in the whole building - it to 119 in the datacenter because the servers run hot alrdy, major drama. ps - i made your gorditas yesterday SO GOOD :) thx for all the kickass recipes you always post!
Posted by: aria | July 24, 2006 at 10:30 AM
Julie,
Today it will be 108--and they are talking about rolling blackouts this afternoon by the power company! I'm glad you're thinking of buying the Mustards Grill cookbook. I think you will enjoy it.
Steven,
Popsicles sound FABULOUS to me. In fact, that's the only thing that sounds right to me. Heat takes away my appetite.
Rosie,
You could "forget" to tell them, because it doesn't taste like grapes. :) Bob said the same thing. I asked him to guess what it was made from and he had no clue. It's not too sweet either, sort of has a coleslaw taste--but not exactly. See, it's mysterous!
Ann,
I don't know why they call it pineapple sage. I should research that. The flowers are indeed that vivid color. I've never used the sage leaves to cook, it's more a landscaping plant. Instead, I use the standard cooking sage, same as everyone else. My hummingbirds love the pineapple sage flowers, by the way. They must be filled with nectar.
Shannon,
The West is really taking a beating and the power supplies are looking dicey. Make that soup, but put your feet in it--very cooling! :)
Christine,
As you know, the Delta breeze is our saving grace, cooling us down drastically at night, no matter how hot during the day. They say we'll get it back by Wednesday and the daytimne temps will drop into the 90's. I sure hope so. It's actually depressing when it doesn't come THE WAY IT'S SUPPOSED TO!!!! Argh!
Aria,
Oh good lord!! !19 degrees!! That sounds awful. Well. I'm so glad that the gorditas turned out for you!!! I always worry that people will hate a recipe--although with gorditas, that would be impossible, don't you think? :)
Posted by: sher | July 24, 2006 at 10:53 AM
I'm still working up the nerve to try a cold soup, I just seem to keep passing that opportunity up! :)
Posted by: s'kat | July 24, 2006 at 02:24 PM
Slurppp!
Mm. Sounds fantastic, and so "true" in a pre-tomato Spain way.
I am just now easing my way back into the kitchen. Funny how a temperature today that's "merely" 15 degrees over normal feels so acceptable, after the 108 we had Saturday (which was, what 25 degrees over normal?).
Anyway! Thanks for this recipe!
Posted by: Cookiecrumb | July 24, 2006 at 05:06 PM
Yum Sher, the soup looks wonderful! It is so hot here in San Diego that I have been making all sort of wonderful cold soups from veggies or fruit! With a hunk of good bread, and a salad, we all feel cooler.I will try your soup, I think Chuck will like it. Thank goodness for AC.
Posted by: Char Buckley | July 24, 2006 at 06:28 PM
Hope you've not been caught by the brownouts and that you, kitty, and your B stay cool.
Posted by: Jaye | July 25, 2006 at 06:15 AM
Sher, I was missing Jay's potato chips myself. When I went to Chicago, I purchased some Jay's chips. They weren't as good as I remember as when I was a child. Now I don't miss having Jay's potato chips.
Posted by: Norma Anderson | July 25, 2006 at 12:41 PM
s'kat,
Just say yes!! I'm sure there's a cold soup waiting for you out there. :)
Cookiecrumb,
You're not supposed to get temperatures of 108 in Marin County, are you? That's shocking. It's going to be close to that here today.
Char & Norma,
Folks, these are my two best friends from high school. We were real characters!
Char, thanks for sending me the cold tomato sauce--I'll try it for sure.
Norma, I don't want to believe that about Jays!!! That's too bad. I used to lust after Rosen's rye bread too, and they ruined it.
Jaye,
Thank you, so far no blackouts--but we're not in the clear yet. It's another scorcher today. Just heard that 5 people have died from the heat in the last two days.
Posted by: sher | July 25, 2006 at 02:40 PM
To Ann and Sher,
I've used Pineapple Sage to make both vinegar and jelly. It's very good. It's called that because if you crush a leaf it smells of pineapples.
Posted by: Christine | July 25, 2006 at 05:02 PM
Christine,
OK, that makes sense! Tomorrow I'll go out and crush some of it under my nose.
Posted by: sher | July 26, 2006 at 12:29 AM
I tried pineapple sage for the first time this year. The batch they had at the market was so pineapple-y that you could smell it from several feet away. Weird! I was sure there must be some pineapples somewhere.
Posted by: eqj (the chocolate lady) | July 26, 2006 at 06:33 AM
Christine and Chocolate Lady,
Well, you're right!! I just crushed the pineapple sage and smelled a sage/pineapple aroma. So, now I know!! Thanks.
Posted by: sher | July 26, 2006 at 12:35 PM
My God, that is beautiful!
Posted by: Glenna | July 28, 2006 at 06:25 AM
oh funny, you and I are on the same wave of length, aren't we? I will have to try your nice recipe!
Posted by: Bea at La Tartine Gourmande | July 28, 2006 at 07:19 PM