Gazpacho and the finest of olive oils from Olyfberg!
Posted on December 3, 2013 by nerinatimm in soups, vegetarian
Gazpacho. such a refreshing and nourishing meal! It takes me to Spain, where gazpacho is often served and to me it is the epitome of health in a plate… a soup plate that it! Yes, gazpacho is a soup!
Gazpacho is indeed a soup from Spanish origin and is usually tomato or vegetable based! The soup is served cold and therefore it is traditionally a summer soup, but I have adapted it to a warm version, which was equally delicious! I just love the vibrancy of the soup, the bright red from the plump tomatoes together with the different colored peppers are just so inviting! The secret of a good gazpacho lies in the quality of the ingredients that you use! Tomatoes must be at their peak, the bread must be a rustic farm bread or ciabatta and the olive oil, top notch!
Apart from the tomatoes and peppers, the body or substance of the soup is in the ciabatta that you blend with garlic, herbs and olive oil. It gives the soup a creamy texture and it makes for a filling meal.
Back to the olive oil. The olive oil in a good gazpacho has to be extra virgin good quality olive oil and my brand of choice from now on is Olyfberg Olive Products. Yes, I am extremely proud to announce I have joined the Olyfberg family and will be using their products exclusively in Nina’s Kitchen Cooking School as well as all recipes I develop from now onwards. Olyfberg has a wide range of products, ranging from their award-winning olive oils, olives and tapenades and to body butter and soap, truly amazing stuff!
You now have the change to win one of two new 2 liter tap box ( with its easy to use no spill, none-drip tap ). All you have to do is tell me in the comment box below, how and one what do you enjoy olive oil? It does not have to be a recipe, it can just be one sentence, but if you have a recipe it is most welcome to!)
Now let’s us put this delicious olive oil to good use in this summer gazpacho!
Gazpacho
Ingredients
2 slices day old ciabatta or farm bread
a handful of fresh basil
3 cloves garlic – peeled
75 ml red wine vinegar
80 ml Olyfberg Olive Oil
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 yellow pepper
2 red onions – finely chopped
1 small cucumber – peeled and seeded
500 g small tomatoes
10 ml black pepper
1 liter tomato juice
zest and juice of 1 lemon
salt to taste
about 200 ml extra Olyfberg Olive oil for making ice- cubes
Method
Place the peppers on a gas burner if you have one or in the oven on 220C until they are soft and charred! Remove from the oven or burner and place the peppers in a plastic bag and allow the peppers to sweat. This will make the skin come off quickly. Once you have peeled the peppers, chop the flesh in very small cubes. Fill an ice tray with olive oil and freeze until needed.
In a food processor, place the bread, basil, garlic and process until it forms a wet paste. Add the vinegar and 80 ml olive oil and mix. Remove from the processor and keep in the fridge. In the same processor, place the onion, tomatoes, lemon zest and juice and cucumber and whiz until it is coarsely chopped. Add the tomato mixture to the bread mixture and mix through. Add 1/2 the chopped peppers. Lastly add the tomato juice and keep the whole mixture in the fridge for at least 2 hours for the flavors to marry and develop.Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Cook’s Notes
I served my gazpacho in little bread bowls. You can make this for your guests as they arrive for Christmas dinner or lunch, they can eat their soup and bread bowl to. Simple cut the crusts of slices or bread, cut out circles with a big cookie cutter and drizzle with olive oil. Place the slice in an oven-proof ramekin and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the bread bowls are crispy and hard. Spoon some gazpacho in each bowl or plate and top with a little chopped peppers, an olive oil ice cube and a sprig of your favorite herb.
Served in small bowls, you can easily feed 20 people.
LOTS OF OLIVE OIL ON BRUSSEL SPROUTS WITH BLACK PEPPER AND PARMESAN SHAVINGS.
Olive oil on ciabatta slowly roasted in oven. Large wedge brie, lots of crushed garlic and good (sweetish) wine – (muscat d’alexandri). Cut the skin of the Brie to enhance easy melting and put in oven @ 180 C. Stir now and then to ensure right texture. 10 min’s before serving add thyme very finely chopped. Use as a warm dip sauce.
We make our own salad dressing and we use extra virgin olive oil
Heat some olive oil in a pan. Add green beans, coarsely ground black pepper, salt, mustard and dry garlic. Shake it around. Serve. Enjoy.
I love Olive Oil just the way they serve it at Primi Piatti, with balsamic vinegar and their own made bread – YUM!
Also love olive oil in salads, or to oven-roast tomatoes with spices.
So many uses for this wonderful oil!
I would enjoy to use this superb Olive Oil in my Ostrich Fillet Penne Recipe – 1 I created myself over time. The Olive Oil will be used to fry and seal the Ostrich Fillet and also to drizzle over the Penne & Rocket Leaves, before grinding some Rainbow Peppercorns over the dish! Just describing this makes me hungry, LOL!Last but not least I always rub some Olive Oil into my hands (a suggestion I got from an Elderly Lady years ago when I asked her why she had such lovely wrinkle free & soft hands), just to keep my hand moistured after cooking! Olive Oil is used at home daily!
I drizzle olive oil on all my pasta dishes before serving, and often bake a lovely olive oil and orange cake. The Olyfberg olive oil on tap will look good on any kitchen counter. Lovely container!
My daughter-in-law, Anna, has introduced me into the cullinary art of using olive oil, BUT insisted that I should only use the best product that I can afford. Mixed with balsamic vinegar on bits of toasted bread, homemade salad dressing, you name it … I would just LOVE to taste Olyfberg olive oil, really must be a winner!
Prepare my Favourite Olive Oil Apple Pie Crust
For the Olive Oil Crust:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup olive oil, partially frozen (see above note)
4 to 8 tablespoons ice water
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Instead of other condiments on my lunch and dinner table, is a bottle of good South African olive oil. We have it over any raw salad, steamed veggies, stir fried veggies, pasta, and of course minestrone and gazpacho with good ciabatta bread. And for a snack, ciabatta dipped in olive oil, balsamic vinegar and garlic! Delicious!!
I could never get used to plain olive oil but now with the delicate flavours you get today. I also love the olive oil and balsamic vinegar salad dressing.
Olive oil, the best brand, is a sure cure for medical problems like colds, flu, coughing or whenever you start feeling sick. Ask me. I know!
Nothing is healthier as tastier than Olyfberg olive oil!
The only oil you will find in my kitchen is olive oil. There aren’t any others that compare.
Apart from its culinary uses, I have discovered the ultimate face mask – yes, face mask! The most beneficial and economical facial. Once a fortnight, I mash a few teaspoons of avocado and then drizzle the olive oil over that, smear onto face and neck, slow to dry, then wash off with lukewarm water.
Go ahead and try it and tell me that’s not the best facial ever!
Melanie (Virginia)
This recipe has become one of my families favourite – great for ‘meat-less Mondays’
Bonus – only use one pan/wok!!
One pan wonder-pasta
Serves 4
340g linguine
340g cherry tomatoes, halved
1 onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp red chilli flakes
2 sprigs basil, plus torn leaves for garnish
2 big glugs of extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
4 1/2 cups water
Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving
Combine pasta, tomatoes, onion, garlic, red chilli flakes, basil, oil, 2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper and water in a large pan.
Bring to a boil over high heat and boil the mixture, stirring and turning the pasta frequently with tongs, until the pasta is al dente and water has nearly evaporated, about 9 minutes.
Season to taste with salt and pepper, divide among 4 bowls and garnish with basil.
Serve with more olive oil and Parmesan.
Bread dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar – YUMMM!
Ek maak slaaisous: 3 dele olyfolie, een deel suurlemoensap. Fyngekapte songedroogde tamaties, fyn pietersielie,knoffel,en ekstra kruie volgens smaak. Ek gebruik dit oor vis wat ek in die oond braai, marineer braaivleis, met koes koes, oor slaai, groente in die oond, ens. Dit gee n ongelooflike geur af. Ek beplan om vir my familie en vriende bottels hiervan as geskenke te gee.
ONLY LOTS OF OLIVE OIL AND BALSAMIC VINEGAR,WITH HIMALYAN SALT AND BLACK PEPPER,MAKESA TUNA OR OTHER SALAD,A DIVINE TREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Most Indian recipes use ghee (clarified butter). With diabetes and heart disease on the increase, I have experimented with olive oil in Indian recipes.
Listed below is my go-to recipe for a warm vegetarian soup: tasty, nutritious and economical. However, the most common way in which I use olive oil is when I make a ginger and garlic puree, which is the basis for most curries. When I am able to buy good ginger (not the nasty stringy variety) & fat juicy bulbs of garlic, I place these ingredients in a food processor with some good quality olive oil. I blitz to create a lovely paste which I store in sterilised bottles – wash with soapy water, rinse, half fill with water and microwave for 10 minutes. This is so much better than buying store bought bottles of ‘easy ginger’ or ‘easy garlic’. The goodness from the fresh ginger and garlic infuses the olive oil and the curry made from this puree is tastier.
Curried Lentil (dahl) soup
1. 250g (1 cup) red lentils – if I can’t get this I use split yellow or green lentils (better if soaked in water overnight and cleaned with changes of fresh water before use)
2. 1 teaspoon ground tumeric
3. 2-3 fresh chillies, finely chopped or 2 dried red chillies for a milder curry, or 2-3 teaspoons curry powder added later with the mustard seeds instead
4. 1 red onion finely chopped; white onion is OK but red is better
5. 1 large tomato, chopped – I like tomato and can’t be bothered to peel fresh tomato so I use a can; don’t tell my mum
6. 2 garlic cloves
7. 5 cm piece ginger, chopped (my family puree the ginger & garlic into a paste in a food processor)
8. 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
9. 2 -3 tablespoons of olive oil
10. 1 sprig fresh curry leaves
11. 2 teaspoons black mustard seeds (do not omit; this gives the curry heat)
Place ingredients 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 with 4 -5 cups of water into a saucepan and bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 30 minutes, until lentils are soft. My aunt always cooks lentils in a pressure cooker.
Grind ingredients 6-8 (ginger, garlic, cumin) in a mortar with a small amount of olive oil (or blitz in a food processor) to make a fine paste.
Heat olive oil in a small heavy based frying pan over low-medium heat. Add curry leaves, mustard seeds and spice paste. Cook for 4 minutes – when the mustard seeds pop, it is done. This mixture is called a turkha.
Pour the spice mixture into the lentil mixture. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Season to taste with salt.
My favourite use of olive oil is when roasting potatoes, carrots and lamb ribs – give the potatoes and carrots about 25 minutes in the oven before adding the lamb ribs for another 25 minutes, and then finally garlic and red onions, all lightly drizzled in olive oil of course … be sure to turn the ribs over every 20 minutes until crispy … add salt, pepper, rosemary to your taste! Enjoy
Watermelon salad
Toss cubes of feta into olive oil. Season with chilli flakes. Bake in a foil parcel at 160C for about ten minutes.
In the meantime, make a salad using onions or shallots, lettuce, raisins and pine nuts.
Make a dressing using red wine vinegar, olive oil and parsley.
Add feta to salad. Pour over the dressing. At the last minute add very cold cubes of watermelon.
The contrast between the cold watermelon and hot feta is lovely.
Serve with wine and bread.
Lekker! Iwan
Dear Nina, Thank you for this wonderful Cape Argus monthly entertaining food insert.
I love cooking with Olive Oil. My best indulgence using OLIVE OIL is: Take 2 to 3 slices of wholewheat or rye bread, can be fresh or a few days old.
(It depends how peckish you are, or if you really need this comfort food)!
Place on a baking sheet lightly greased with olive oil. On the bread place some strong cheddar cheese, finely grated, some chopped up olives, and grated fresh garlic. Then dribble some olive oil carefully over, I take a fork and gently stir the olive oil all over the topping. Into a preheated oven 180 degrees C, for about 10 minutes. Place on a pretty china plate, add a large mug of good coffee and enjoy, enjoy!!
I absolutely adore olive oil! I got inspired with my most favorite movie “Julie and Julia” – she made the most delicious bruchetta’s and I followed through on the inspiration! I take Ciababa bread or a french loaf and fry the bread slices in olive oil with salt pepper and some herbs – I then take cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, olive oil, pepper salt, chilli, garlic and boccochini or avo’s and make like a salsa to go on top – at the end I garnish with baby basil and extra olive oil and lemon zest – another filling is wild mushrooms with time and black pepper drizzled at the end with yummy Olyfberg olive oil! I’ve just moved into our own little house and this would make for an awesome house warming gift celebrating the best south africa has to offer regarding olive oil x Holding thumbs and toes x
When we were babies my mom would rub our bodies with olive oil after a bath. we use olive oil everyday because of its tremendous health benefits- in soups, stir fry, most of our food, salad dressing,on our bodies and to bath with.Olyfberg olive is our favorite and our home is never without it. I am so happy to see the convenient tap box is now available.Thank you Olyfberg for teaming up with KANSA to make a difference.My family and I will continue to support this worthy cause.Obrigado 🙂
I enjoy Olive oil drizzled over crispy tomato bruchetta!!!
I use olive oil on a Saturday morning to brown cooked baby potato halves for breakfast. Also to make salad dressing with grape vinegar and olive oil.
Because of health issues no butter , so olive oil takes its place in all our meals, even breakfast. Love creamy oatmeal with brown sugar, raisins, sliced apples and a good swirl of extra virgin olive oil.
Hallo Nina, ek ken glad nie Olyfolie nie, maar ek is so geinspireerd nadat ek al jou “kitchen recipes” gekyk het. Watter olyfolie beveel jy aan (waarna moet ‘n mens kyk?)- terloops, my begroting gaan my nie toelaat om te kieskeurig te wees nie.
ns – ek weet die kompetisie is verby 😉
Hello Nette
Ek kan Olyfberg olies aanbeveel, dit is heerlik lig, vars gras geure en nie te erg op die sak nie!!
Sure it must be 500 small tomatoes, not just 50?
Sorry Herman, it should be 500 g. Thank you for highlighting the mistake, I fixed it.