August is the month to make Gazpacho. Everything is in season, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers and fresh herbs.

Last year while spending a semester in Madrid, I did my fair share of gazpacho eating as the temperature rose steadily in May.  Like any good poker game, rules of the house apply, and the same holds true with Spanish Gazpacho. Gazpacho is essentially a chilled tomato soup with cucumber, onions and various other additions depending on where you are in the country, who’s house your dining in, and of course what happens to be growing in the garden. Searching for a Spanish blogger to set me straight once and for all, I happened upon The Lobster Squad’s gazpacho entry.

She puts it best- this dish is idiosyncratic, but there are right ways to change it and wrong ways. Don’t use mushy tomatoes, forget about accurate measurements, listen to your tongue and tummy.  The Spanish often include day old bread in their recipes, giving the soup more body and a richer quality.  In Granada, I sampled a this type of soup called salmorejo, a cold tomato  and bread based soup, silky with freshly pressed olive oil and garnished with jamon y huevo (egg).

But here in Minnesota my air conditioning is broken, it’s stinking hot and the only thing to eat that doesn’t increase the heat is chilled veggies. Gazpacho sans bread it its. Nothing is easier than a cold soup for a fast lunch or dinner.

Gazpacho

(One of the best parts about this soup is you can use whatever veggies you have on hand…which in august for me, is usually a lot.) This recipe serves three or four, depending on the course and the appetite. For me, it made a great dinner with bread and found its way into my lunch box the next day.

One half cucumber, seeded skin removed if desired
two tomatoes
one half red onion
two bell peppers of different colors
one clove garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white balsamic or light colored vinegar
salt and pepper

Roughly chop the vegetables and garlic and toss into a food processor. Pulse until desired chunky to liquid ratio. I recommend staying on the chunky side, because next you add the olive oil to emulsify the soup and the vinegar to balance the sweet summer fruits. Finally season to taste with salt and pepper. Yep that’s it! So easy, and completely delicious. If you want a more liquidy soup and like the tomato centered model (I am pretty liberal when it comes to gazpacho making) go ahead and add some tomato juice. It is a different flavor, but yummy in its own right.

May I suggest some grilled shrimp, crusty bread and a rose wine to go with it?

This Thursday, the Minneapolis Institute of Art held a “Bike Night” were cycling was celebrated with music, drink and art. But first, before Warhol, Oldenberg and Lichtenstein teased my eyes in the modern wing, I had my very first Pimm’s Cup.

Pimm’s is an odd thing, here in the US we don’t really know what a Pimm’s Cup is, and less so, what Pimm’s  itself is.  Well, it’s a full bodied, fruit, spicy liqueur; it is red and it is delicious.  The story goes like this….

Long ago in London, a man named James Pimm owned a famous oyster bar right in the center of town, where men came to slurp down briny deliciousness and toss back a few slugs of gin. But according to Pimm’s legend, that gin was pretty miserable, so James concocted something else. His “House Cup” of fruit infused liqueur and quinine (tonic) was so popular, it soon earned the nickname “Number 1 cup” in London and thus, the Pimm’s Cup was born.

Over the course of nearly 200 years, the Pimm’s people have developed six different flavors. Pimm’s No. 1 is gin based, Pimm’s No. 2 scotch, 3 brandy, 4 rum, 5 rye whiskey and finally, invented in during the psychedelic 60’s, the vodka based Pimm’s No. 6.  Today, only Pimm’s No. 1 enjoys wide spread consumption; 6 is still around in small batches and 3 has been altered for a Pimm’s Winter Cup Cocktail.  The PWC has orange peel somewhere in the mix, and therefore holds no interest for me.

Here in the States, (across the pond from Mr. James Pimm’s establishment) we savor our Pimm’s Cup in the summer months when its fruit and sparkle protects us against the July heat. Careful, these babies go down fast.  This recipe is slightly different than the one found on Pimm’s website, but it sounds way tastier to me. I generally prefer my cocktails without strawberries.

Minnesota Pimm’s Cup (Serves Six)
6 oz Pimm’s No. 1
3 oz Hendricks Gin
Sparking Lemon Soda
Soda Water
2 Cucumbers sliced lengthwise
6 Sprigs of mint
6 Lime wedges
Ice

Now, you can do this individually, or in a jug. Individually, set up each glass with ice, a cucumber slice and a sprig of mint.

Then add one shot of Pimms and half a shot of Hendricks to each cup.  Top with lemon soda and soda water for the level of sweetness you like. Finally, squeeze a good bit of lime over the top and your good to go!

If you want to mix up a batch, just add it all to a jug, reserving the cucumber, mint and lime for each cup.

After my thursday experience with Mr. Pimm, I was quite infatuated and thankfully so was my mother. This weekend, Mom and I sipped our second Pimm’s Cup cruising on the St. Croix River under the hot hot July heat.

Its been a long weekend of meat, grilling and more meat. I want to eat something as far away from barbecued ribs as possible. (Although the four our grill process produced a fantastic result, but I’ll get to that later). Its time for a light summer dish, fresh and roasted vegetables over fresh pasta. And as the days roll by, the tomatoes just keep getting sweeter. I made this first in the spring when English peas were in high season, so last night I adapted it to the ingredients available this weekend at the farmers market.

Raw and Roasted Veggie Pasta

Fusilli Pasta
Bell Peppers
Zucchini
Summer Squash
Sweet peas or shelling peas
Tomatoes (separated in to two batches)
Basil
Italian Parsley
Olive oil, Salt, Pepper, crushed red pepper

Back in the spring, sitting in Erica’s tiny hot kitchen, we spent a lazy hour speaking in accents, sipping our wine and chopping vegetables. Recounting the story the next day, my mother insisted I pass along the recipe. I think recipes in their original form are fun, and so I included my email via blackberry from aboard the El heading downtown.  The bolded words are ingredients updated for the current season.

I can’t recall the pasta’s name exactly, but I want to say Fusilli, anyway, something short and twisty.

Roast the peppers, Zucchini, Summer Squash and tomatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper. While that is happening, boil water for pasta. Shell or chop in pieces and blanch snap peas. Chop up raw tomatoes and reserve. Julliene basil, chop parsley.

When pasta and roast veg are done, toss the veg and the pan juices with the hot pasta. Add peas, fresh tomatoes and herbs. Top with a dash of olive oil, ricotta salata, crushed pepper flakes ( if you want ) and of course, salt and pepper!

Its clearly a throw together meal. But it has some serious health and history value. And on a detox week, whats better than that.

Benefit 1: Taking advantage of the season! The riper the tomato, the higher level antioxidants in its flesh = the more cancer-lickin’, heart helping properties within. And let’s face it, those tomatoes we Minnesotans get in January are simply not ripe nor tasty.

Benefit 2: All these veggies are full of vitamins, especially A, and C. Dig in to fortify your eyesight,  boost your immune system and even keep your babymaking parts healthy.

Benefit 3: You get to experience Ricotta Salata cheese, the more complicated step brother of regular ricotta. Ricotta, meaning “recooked” is made from the left over whey from producing a cheese like provolone. That whey is collected  and recooked to form a smoother, creamier version of American cottage cheese. Ricotta salata, salata meaning “salted” is first salted then compressed to form a drier, firmer cheese. Its similar to feta in texture. Check back with me later this week, I am going to try to make my own!

I literally had to use both arms, up to the elbow, to mix the orzo and roasted vegetable pasta that I made last weekend. 4 lbs pasta, 2 lbs Bulgarian feta, 14 bell peppers, 7 zucchini and 5 onions. I could have fed Canadian army with this big bowl of pasta. But instead, I fed artists.

On Saturday night the Walker Art Center’s hosted a discussion with cinematographer/filmmaker Ellen Kuras, whose impressive body of work ranges from documentaries to dramas and even reaches into the commercial world with her recent target ad. Some of her most recognizable films include Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Swoon, and the academy award nominated film, Betrayal.

After much talking, it was time for much eating.  This arts-oriented Minneapolitans needs to eat (and eat well) so after the event,  Chez Barczak hosted a truly scrumptious reception, catered by yours truly.

It was a tasty success. For nibblies we had almonds, pistachios and olives from Bill’s Imported Foods, one of the best spots for weird international fare in town. Shopping for this meal was very possibly the best part. From Coastal Sea Food (where I fall in love with a new fish monger every time) we purchased a beautiful smoked salmon fillet and 5lbs of Texas brown shrimp. I love Coastal, they are dedicated to quality, taste and sustainability, and of course they are never without that lovely fishy smell brings me back time and time again.  Not to mention the studs handling my halibut steaks.

On top of the thinly sliced salmon sat a few handfuls of arugula dressed with a light olive oil and white balsamic vinaigrette. The combination of deep, aquatic orange and bright green looked stunning on a simple peasant breadboard. I also make herbed goat cheese sandwiches with cucumbers on grainy bread. The combination of the salmon and sandwiches was like a little piece of Irish whimsy in my mouth.  God this was fun to do!

The shrimp were treated to a homemade cocktail sauce with plenty of horseradish and lemon juice. It is really worth making your own sauce if you have time and are so inclined. Everyone’s proportions differ but this is a rough estimate of what I did

Homemade Cocktail Sauce

1- 1.5 cups ketchup
3 tablespoons bottled horseradish
juice of one lemon
1 teaspoon Worchester sauce
salt and black pepper to taste

Mix and enjoy…

For the more meat centered folk, 6 lbs of pork tenderloin with cumin and coriander spice rub hit the spot with good grainy mustard and a big scoop of orzo on the side. Far and away the orzo was the most labor intensive, but only because there was SO much. I’ve toned down the proportions for this recipe. I have made this several social gatherings; it works at any size, and any level of formality.

Orzo with Roasted Vegetables

1 green zucchini cut length-wise and into half moons
1 red bell, 1 inch diced
1 orange bell pepper, 1 inch dice
1 small red onion diced in ½ pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
½ pounds orzo
Juice of one lemon
1/3 cup basil, julienned
1/3 cup Italian parsley chopped
½ - ¾ pounds good, crisp feta
4 scallions, white and light green parts chopped.

Preheat oven to 425º. Toss all the vegetables with the garlic, olive oil, salt and spread on a baking pan with sides. Roast for 35 minutes. If you are using two pans, make sure to switch their location in the oven halfway through the cooking time to roast evenly.

Meanwhile, get a big pot of water boiling, toss in a teaspoon of salt and a dash of olive oil. Add the pasta and cook per the instruction on the box. It is usually between seven and nine minutes, then drain.

When the vegetables are done, and slightly cooled, add them and all their delicious juices to the orzo. This should provide enough olive oil to loosen the pasta and start to create the dressing.

Squeeze lemon juice over the pasta and toss to combine. Add herbs, scallions, feta and freshly ground pepper. Taste, check the flavors, and then eat it all!

The dessert of Port, pears and Stilton was to the Minneapolis arts crowd as a birthday cake is to little kids—a special event. I had never had the combo myself, but I will now seek it out with a homing device. The  complexities in the sweetness of the port are complimented and intensified by the Stilton, a fragrant British blue cheese. With four different kinds of pears and walnut-dried fruit bread from Rustica Bakery, this was the perfect meal closer. Ok, the dark chocolate and chewy ginger cookies were a nice addition as well.

Both fortunately and unfortunately, we made WAY to much food, as Barczaks are wont to do. Lots of pork sandwiches and breakfast eggs with salmon were consumed in the next few days. not to mention the 8 containers of orzo left over. I’m back in Chicago again, and contemplating a get together of my own. Orzo will most definitely be on the menu.

After a week of relatives (and eating/drinking), relatives (and bowling), relatives (and more drinking)…..why not continue the debauchery? I got back into Minneapolis on Sunday and headed over to a friends house for dinner.  Between three of us, we cleaned out a bottle of good tequila and made exquisite french bread pizzas.

Photo by Justin Evidon and his iPhone

Here are some of the ingredients and combos we used:

Fresh arugula, cherry tomatoes and mozzarella with prosciutto
Peppadew picante peppers (in the olive bar!), chicken and cheddar cheese with hot pepper flakes
Rosemary mushrooms with chicken and spinach

To throw a fun pizza making party, start with a few loaves of take and bake baguette, and back them about half the time it says on the package.  Then scoop out some of the bready inside to make room for toppings.  Have your favorite tomato sauce available as well as a few different cheeses (feta, mozzarella, cheddar), a meat or two (I usually choose chicken and one kind of ham or sausage like selection) and plenty of vegetables (spinach, olives, mushrooms, tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, onions etc.)

So easy, so fun, so tasty.  And may I recommend you wash these down with a few glasses of tequila?

This week’s Sunday Night Supper is coming to you on a Tuesday. My apologies. I promise a new system next week so you can actually MAKE the meal on Sunday if you feel so inclined.

This week, it turned a little colder and I feel drawn to big pots of hot, steaming foods. Now, Moroccan stew might not be the first thing that jumps into your mind, but bear with me. This ménage a trois of squash, carrots and spices infuses my house with the scent of warmer lands and my stomach with healthy, delicious brain food.

First off, I need to say that this recipe requires a lot of spices. Now, spices might seem a little pricey at the outset, but that large upfront cost is going to allow you to travel to India on a Tuesday, march around Africa on Thursday and seduce a Frenchman on Saturday.

Moroccan Squash and Carrot Stew

Recipe from Gourmet Magazine

Now, that looks horribly and complicated and intimidating. It is not. Let’s do this in plan English and we can get an idea of what is going on.

Step 1: Combine the spices and S & P in a small bowl and set aside. Now, you can use what you have, but paprika, cumin and chili are essential (and ESSENTIAL for you to have forever) Ginger and turmeric greatly enhance the flavor

Step 2: Saute onion and garlic in olive oil in a large pot until they smell really delicious. About five minutes.

Step 3: Toss the spice mixture in with the onions and stir until onions are coated

Step 4: Add one cup water, double the amount of tomatoes called for (juicier this way), a squeeze of lemon juice and bring to a boil.

Step 5: Add the squash and carrots and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes.

While that is happening…..

Step 6: melt butter in a large pan and sauté some garlic and a little onion (the idea that you have to put carrot here too is silly in my opinion) until brown, about 5 minutes

Step 7: add a few dashes of turmeric—for color and flavor—and stir around a bit.

Step 8: add 1cup quinoa and 2 cups water, boil, then cover and simmer until water is absorbed, about 15 minutes.

Step 9: stir in chopped cilantro and mint. If you choose to buy only one, go with the cilantro.

EAT!