Summer Garden Cucumber and Chile Gazpacho
Chef and owner of Restaurant Cochineal in Marfa, Texas, Alexandra Gates loves to use fresh produce from her garden in her cooking, as in this chilled cucumber gazpacho. Finished with a swirl of crème fraiche and a few borage blossoms, an edible flower that tastes similar to cucumber, it’s a pretty and perfectly refreshing starter on a hot Texas day. Adjust the quantity of jalapeños to suit your preferred level of spiciness.
Ingredients
- 3 or 4 English cucumbers (about 2 lb./1 kg total weight), coarsely chopped
- 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
- 1/2 shallot, chopped
- 3 green onions, white and light green portions, chopped
- 1 to 2 jalapeño chiles, seeded and minced
- 1 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 Tbs. chopped fresh mint
- 1 Tbs. chopped fresh dill
- 1 Tbs. chopped fresh basil
- 4 fresh sorrel leaves
- 2 roasted garlic cloves, mashed to a paste with 1 tsp. kosher salt
- Kosher and freshly ground white pepper
- Pinch of smoked paprika
- Pinch of ground cumin
- 1/2 cup (4 oz./125 g) plain yogurt
- 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1 tsp. Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
- Crème fraîche for garnish
- Borage or cucumber flowers for garnish (optional)
Directions
In a blender, combine the cucumbers, bell pepper, shallot, green onions, jalapeño, cilantro, parsley, mint, dill, basil, sorrel, garlic paste, 1 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. white pepper, paprika, cumin, yogurt, olive oil and vinegar. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
Pour the gazpacho into individual bowls. Drizzle with crème fraîche and olive oil, garnish with flowers and serve. Serves 6.
Recipe courtesy of Alexandra Gates, Chef/Owner of Cochineal, Marfa, TX