His Majesty Gazpacho

Spaniards are blessed with big country full of rich tastes and nice smells. Spices rule over Iberian peninsula from time of Romans to conquistadors who sailed the world, bringing back tons of different spices. And they use them passionately. When the food is hot, then it is really hot; when it is aromatic, whole Spain is wrapped in beautiful odor. Different climate in Andalusia, Galicia, Catalonia, La Mancha and other parts of this country makes out of Spanish cuisine rich mosaic of food and drink. Right now, as elsewhere in Southern Europe, sun is getting hotter, days harder and it is time for his majesty: gazpacho.

Full of energy, refreshing cold soup is probably the richest culinary invention of Andalusia. I've stumbled across an interesting text about gazpacho:
Red gazpacho, the one which is just called gazpacho, is basically a cold and uncooked vegetable soup. In its most concentrated form it is the Cordob salmorego, a very thick creamy soup with no water in it, which just adds tomato to the base. In Cordoba itself, it is served with hard boiled eggs, quartered or chopped and strips of ham. In the rest of province, it might be garnished with chopped almonds, cumin crushed with mint, or with orange segments. The salmorejo is also one of the components of a very nice tapa, the pan de pueblo (country bread) an uncooked dish combining tomato, salt cod, garlic and parsley. The best known red gazpacho is the more liquid Sevillian type, which to a certain point reflects the general formula. The original mixture is supplemented here with large quantities of tomato and smaller proportions of cucumber and green pepper. It is served garnished with green pepper, hardboiled egg, fried bread, onion, tomato and cucumber, everything being finely chopped.
White gazpacho is typical of the south and east of Andalusia. This is Malaga's famous ajo blanco (white garlic) which, according to some people, dates back to Moorish times and which according to others is a peasant dish adapted for city tastes in the nineteenth century. It consists of pounding peeled almonds with cooking salt before crushing the basic elements into the mixture and then adding water to get the smoothness of a soup. Outside Malaga, which gazpacho can be made with pine seeds. At the beginning of summer, the strong flavour of garlic is sweetened with cubes or little balls of melon or apple and in September, with grapes.
Finally, less know but by no means less attractive is the green gazpacho from the Huelva region and the Sierra Morena where flavour is given by chopped herbs and green vegetables. In the first group, coriander, mint and parsley and basil can be combined or alone, while lettuce, green pepper and endive bring freshness and texture.
And here are two recipes, the first one is my favourite.

Gazpacho Andalus - Andalusian Salad-Soup

Ingredients

• 75 g stale bread (Spanish loaf, not packaged bread), crusts removed
• 1 kg ripe tomatoes, peeled and seeded
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 tsp salt
• pinch of ground cumin
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 5 tbsp vinegar
• about 300 ml water

For the garnish:

• 100 g green peppers, finely chopped
• 100 g cucumber, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 small tomatoes, finely chopped
• 2 slices bread, toasted and diced

A note about tomatoes: vine-ripened tomatoes are one of Spain’s summertime treats. If possible, buy the big, beefy ones. Even if they are slightly green, they will ripen in a few days. Avoid the all-of-a-size and colour long-life tomatoes. They’re bred for shipping long distances and just don’t have the flavour of the local varieties.

Tomatoes can be skinned before making the gazpacho. Instead of the usual method of dipping them in boiling water, try running the blunt edge of a knife across the skin, then pulling it off. Otherwise, puree the tomatoes, then sieve them to remove skin and seeds.

Recipe

Put the bread to soak in enough water to cover for 10 minutes. Squeeze out excess water and put the bread in a blender or processor. Cut the peeled tomatoes into chunks and add to the blender with the garlic, salt and cumin. Process until puréed (in two or more batches if necessary). With the motor running add the oil in a slow stream, then add the vinegar. The mixture will thicken and change colour as the oil emulsifies. Add a little of the water and transfer to a serving bowl or pitcher. Stir in water to the desired consistency. Chill until serving time. Place the chopped peppers, cucumbers, onion, tomato and breadcrumbs in individual small bowls or in a divided dish and serve them as accompaniments. Gazpacho may also be served in glasses or mugs for sipping. Omit the garnishes.

Salmorejo Cordobes - Gazpacho Cream

Ingredients

• 450 g stale bread, crusts removed
• 600 g tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 50 g green peppers
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp salt
• 120 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 4 tbsp wine vinegar
• 100 g Serrano ham, cut in strips
• 2 hard-cooked eggs, sliced

Recipe

This is essentially gazpacho without the water. Serve it as a starter in individual ramekins, accompanied by bread. Or use it as a dip for raw vegetables such as carrot sticks, pepper strips, celery.

Soak the bread in enough water to cover for 15 minutes. Squeeze it out. Put in blender or processor with the tomatoes, pepper and garlic. Process until smooth. Add the salt. With the motor running, add the oil in a slow stream until it is incorporated. Blend in the vinegar. Serve the cream smoothed into little dishes, topped with strips of ham and sliced egg.