Heather recently asked me if I knew how they make gazpacho at the Enoteca Trimani's wine bar in Rome, because it was the best she had ever had. I didn't, but Carla Trimani kindly sent me the recipe, which will serve 6. You'll need:
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 4 1/2 pounds (2 k) ripe sauce tomatoes -- they use Casalino tomatoes
- A scant pound (400 g) red bell peppers
- A scant pound (400 g) cucumbers
- 6 ounces (150 g) crust-free day-old bread
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil (they use oil from the Sabine hills)
- White wine vinegar
- Fresh Basil
Preparation:
Soak the bread in cold water to cover, adding two tablespoons of vinegar. In the meantime, carefully wash the vegetables. Stem and seed the peppers, core the tomatoes, and peel the cucumbers, and cut all into pieces. Put the pieces into your blender and blend. Add the bread crumb, squeezing the water out first (it should be damp but not dripping), and a few basil leaves, and season the mixture with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper.Put the mixture through a fairly fine wire-mesh strainer to eliminate impurities, and check seasoning, adding a little oil if need be. Chill the gazpacho in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours before serving it. Come serving time, pour it into a tureen (it should be velvety in texture), garnish it with a nice sprig of fresh basil, and serve it with rosemary-flavored croutons.
