In the midst of all of the great work I've been able to do lately, there have been some great opportunities to travel. One such trip was a weekend getaway to Athens,Georgia for a foodie adventure. At one stop during the weekend, we hit an incredible restaurant called The National. This place was remarkable - great talent, beautiful space and mind-blowing food.
As a true testament to The National's power, I consumed two things that I absolutely cannot stand. The first being carrot juice in a dazzling Carrot Ginger Bloody Mary. The second was a delicate but boldly flavored Cucumber Gazpacho topped with a piquillo pepper and shrimp relish. I'm very persnickety about what I eat containing cucumbers but I would have licked the bowl if I could have gotten my face deep enough into it. Needless to say, I came back home and replicated it almost immediately.
My version has a bit more tang (from the citrus juice and the vinegar) and a tiny bit more heat via the cayenne. This is one of those recipes that is super easy to put together, put it in a covered container, and forget about worrying over it. In a couple of hours in the fridge, the flavors are bright. You can put any twists on it that you want - some herbs whizzed in the soup itself, spiked with a bit of tequila or vodka, and garnished any way you see fit. I love the piquillo pepper with the cucumber and added some radish sprouts for a bit of texture.
Cucumber Gazpacho with Piquillo Pepper and Radish Sprouts - makes one quart of soup
- 4 medium cucumbers - completely peeled, deserted and roughly chopped
- 1 clove garlic - minced
- juice of one medium lemon
- juice of one medium lime
- 1/3 cup very fruity extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tbsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. white pepper
- 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1 roasted piquillo pepper - sliced into julienned strips or diced (optional)
- small bunch radish sprouts, sunflower sprouts or micro greens (optional)
