Guest ~ Cantaloupe Gazpacho

No food history today. Today's post by my dear friend, Kymberlee from http://www.freespiriteater.com.

Thank you, Kymberlee for being a guest on Christine's Pantry, and thank you for sharing this recipe and story. I know you will enjoy her post and recipe. Thanks for being a part of Christine's Pantry.

If you would like to be a guest on Christine's Pantry, email me at christinespantry@gmail.com for details.

Cantaloupe Meh... Cantaloupe gazpacho. Now that’s more like it. If you’ve never heard of gazpacho, it’s pretty much a blended salad. It usually contains cilantro, peppers, onions, jalapeno, cucumber, and some type of fruit such as watermelon or cantaloupe. It’s simple, throw everything in a blender and season to perfection. It might sound odd, but has an interestingly refreshing flavor.

I first made gazpacho in culinary school. My instructor handed my partner and I a list of ingredients for us to prep. We quickly finished and looked at her with eyes that simply said, “Now what?” She looked back at us saying, “Just blend it,” and walked back to the stove. We looked at each other, “Que dijo?” “What did she say?” We were too embarrassed to ask the chef for specific instructions since the other students seemed to be doing just fine without them. So we placed our ingredients together and brought out the sparkling water and hand mixer. It took us quite a while to make such a simple recipe because we second guessed ourselves. Too afraid we’d add too much or too little Perrier. It wasn’t seasoned enough for either of us and we disappointedly presented our dish to the class and the school. (Did I mention it was the semester where the entire school, staff and students taste your dishes?)

Most people rejected the soup without even trying it for fear of the unknown. The few that made the attempt left most of it behind in their bowls. You may ask why I am re-attempting what some may see as a failed dish. That’s because I see this as an opportunity to grow. I automatically rejected the thought of an unfamiliar dish like the others did. Yet the few who tried it could not taste the love and passion it was made with. Well that is because there wasn’t any. That was the day I learned that even if I made a dish I did not like to begin with, I must still create a meal I am proud of. So I re-attempted gazpacho, this time on my own and without a recipe. Instead of using watermelon like I did in my first attempt, I used cantaloupe. Perfect since I had some left over from my Cantaloupe Pops with Strawberry Honey Nectar. This recipe in particular has the subtle sweetness of the cantaloupe followed by a hint of crisp greens, particularly the cilantro. This recipe can be passed among friends as shooters. Since I had decided to peel the tomatoes prior to chopping and tossing in the blender, it was the perfect opportunity to practice my knife cuts. I made a tomato rose using the skin. It's really quite simple, here is a minute and a half long video on how to make a tomato rose. 

Feel free to add watermelon, melon, jalapenos, cucumber or sweeten with agave nectar or honey, see what you can come up with. I’ve had people ask me why I encourage others to change my recipes while giving idea ingredients but not exact measurements. I do this because I don’t want my readers to second guess themselves the way that I did. There is nothing more liberating than creating a dish yourself, without being held down by a book or laptop. It’s okay to add a bit more seasoning or extra veggies. Experimenting in the kitchen is not only therapeutic but an opportunity to create new and exciting recipes. I know I sound cheesy but I just want others to feel the pure child-like excitement that pours out of me the moment I step foot into a kitchen. I hope you enjoyed this post and remember to never settle for anything less than delicious! =]

P.S. If you have any culinary related questions you can find me on Bromography's food advice column Advice You Can Chew On or e-mail your question to FreeSpiritEater@Bromography.com. 

Cantaloupe Gazpacho

½ teaspoon of red wine

¼ of a green pepper, de-seeded & small diced

2 radishes, peeled and small diced

½ a stick of celery, small diced

½ a cantaloupe medium diced

½ a lemon juiced

1 teaspoon of olive oil

¼ teaspoon of cayenne powder

1 tomato peeled and diced

¼ of a red onion small diced

2 tablespoons of fresh cilantro

Salt and pepper to taste

Honey or sweetener, optional

1 cup of sparkling water

Directions:

1. After all ingredients are prepped, place all ingredients except sparkling water in blender and blend until there are no small particles left (you may also use a hand blender)
Add sparkling water and blend until just combined. Taste, then add salt and pepper to taste and you may add a sweetener if you prefer to have it on the sweeter side. Blend again until just combined, taste again to ensure desired flavor. Pour and serve in a bowl or in large shot glasses. You may also cover and refrigerate to allow flavors to marinate, just give it a good mix before serving.