30 Days of Creativity - Day 29: Salmorejo

We are still working through our tomatoes from our recent trip to the Maxwell Street Market. (Planning to restock our fridge with fresh produce this weekend.)

Here's a salmorejo (thick gazpacho) from an authentic Spaniard (pm):

+6-7 ripe tomatoes

+ 1/2 c olive oil

+ 3 garlic cloves

+ splash of vinegar

+ 1 cucumber

+ 1/2 baguette (soak in water beforehand to soften; strain water)

+ dash of salt

+ other vegetables as desired (carrots are good!)

Blender and puree everything together. Let it sit overnight in the fridge to absorb all flavors. Garnish with hard-boiled eggs and jamon serrano (or prosciutto where jamon serrano is not available). Tuna works well too.

And that's all for today folks. We're signing off early. Que aproveche!

30 Days of Creativity - Day 13: Tomato & Blackberry Overload

Today has been a day of really having to s t r e t c h our creativity in the kitchen. Allow me to explain.

In the winter we went to Maxwell Street Market and were not very impressed (refer to post here). We went again today and our opinion has done a complete 180. A complete 180. I am not even going to get into the crazy deals we scored today - even if I really want to. (By the way, I have learned that it's a Midwestern thing to always want to share our good deal stories with others. For example: "That's a cute shirt." How do I always want to respond? "Thanks. I got it on clearance for $$$ at xxx.").

I digress. Back to the market.

Next time we go we are bringing a suitcase. We bought a box of tomatoes and a box of blackberries for $10. To put this into perspective - we have at least 10 pounds of tomatoes and 12 packs of blackberries. A ridiculous deal? I think so. Our challenge since we have been home is being creative with how we are going to use all this produce before it goes bad. (Naturally, we will be freezing lots of tomatoes.)

I have decided to conquer the blackberries. I have worked through 6 packs already on various baked goods. I will write more about those tomorrow and they all need a day to set. Pm has been responsible for the tomatoes (with some help from yours truly). Tonight's menu will consist of rustic tomato soup. The recipe below is from the Big Food cookbook by Elissa Altman. We will certainly be making some gazpacho with these tomatoes too.

Big Food Rustic Tomato Soup Recipe (ampm style)

1/4 c olive oil

1 c baby carrots (diced)

1 large yellow onion (peeled & diced)

3 garlic cloves, minced

6 c fresh tomatoes (peeled, seeded & chopped w/ liquid) ~12 tomatoes

1 c chicken stock

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 T dried basil leaves

salt & pepper to taste

Heat oil and add carrot and onion. Cook until softened. Add garlic, stir and cook for 3 mins. Add tomatoes and juice and cook until they fall apart. Add stock, cover and simmer for 10 mins. Add basil, cover and continue to simmer for 20 mins. Season accordingly. Serve hot. [Note: We will be blending the soup before serving.]

I better get back in the kitchen and help. Que Aproveche! (We'll post a picture later on Flickr of our final product.)

And as promised here's the soup :)

Maxwell Street Market

Is there an unwritten code that Sundays should be overcast and dreary? A day when all you want to do is sip on coffee and watch countless hours of the Olympics.

We decided to break that rhythm this Sunday (minus the coffee drinking, of course!). We wandered down to the Maxwell Street Market. Having both had plenty of experiences with the mercadillos of Spain, we thought we'd have this one pegged. One big difference: The Spanish spoken at this market does not resemble the Spanish of Spain, even if the bargains and merchandise do.

We had hoped there would be more fruits and foods, but instead it seemed like it was the week of socks, used tools, perfumes and knock-offs. (Sad to say, it appeared that a handful of items on sale - including car tires, camera lenses, and other gadgets - were either found during dumpster dives or involuntary giving.) It was an experience - a nice step out into something different. We did, however, enjoy the food. The gorditas, chicharrones and churros were delicious. (From strictly the AM perspective, I prefer Mexican churros - sweeter and easier to eat! Yum!).

All in all, it was a nice diversion to what could have been a very lazy and mundane winter Sunday.

What fun diversions to you enjoy on the weekend?