red or green?: Gott's Gazpacho

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Gott's Gazpacho

all photos from this story courtesy Ashley Teplin

I posted this recipe a few years ago on my Napa Farmhouse 1885 blog. This gazpacho is so delicious that it needs to be shared once again. The recipe is from Gott's Roadside Restaurant. Gott's, formally known as Taylor's Refresher, is a Napa institution, serving the best burgers, fries, sandwiches and salads possible. Gott's has three locations, two in Napa and one at the Ferry Building in San Francisco. This is their story:

"Since 1999, Joel and Duncan Gott have kept alive a tradition of classic handmade American food. Born on a roadside, raised in a ferry building, our family-run kitchen serves up mighty fine eats that draw people from all over. Artisanal ingredients in traditional recipes combine for a refreshing take on old favorites. Surprising menu special keep hungry customers coming back to see what's next. And carefully chosen beers and wines make eating this good even better. Bring your family, friends, or just your big appetite. Whether there's two people or twenty ahead of you in line, we'll make it worth your while". From Gott's website

As someone who has stood in line there many, many times...I was thrilled to be given this recipe. Gott's is known for using fresh, organic ingredients in their food. They took two acres of their St Helena property and planted, as garden manager Christopher Landercasper (Landy) told me "Over two miles of vegetables if you lined them up in a row." Their objective is to use their organically farmed produce exclusively in their food. Each summer they feature daily specials with fresh-from-their-garden produce. Offerings such as fried zucchini with ranch dip (all herbs from the garden), pesto potato fries, fried green tomatoes and, of course, the gazpacho are customer favorites.

The gazpacho is so amazingly good that I urge each of you to gather the ingredients and begin making a batch today. I am a gazpacho fan but, as chef Rick says "There are a lot of insipid gazpachos out there." This one is perfect and...if I may be so bold...the best gazpacho in the world.

Gott's Gazpacho
Chef Rick reports that this "Classic cold soup of Andalusia features tomatoes and cucumbers from Gott's garden and is thickened with bread in the classic style".
yield- approx 1 gallon

7 lbs ripe, in-season tomatoes
1 lb red onion, peeled & chopped
1 lb green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 lb cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
1.5 lbs ripe, in-season tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 tbsp chopped garlic
2 tbsp kosher salt
1/2 t cayenne
1/8 c + 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
1/8 cup + 1 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 good quality baguette, two days old, crusts removed and cut into 1" cubes

Method-prep work day before:
1. Finely chop 7 lbs of tomatoes in Cuisinart, mix with 1 tbsp salt and refrigerate overnight in non reactive container (do not use a metal bowl).
2. Mix remaining ingredients and refrigerate overnight in a non-reactive container.
Serving Day
3. The next day, strain all liquid out of the reserved tomatoes with a sieve or china cap (a conical sieve with an extremely fine mesh) that will allow some pulp, but no seeds and skins through. Work to get all juice, and then discard pulp, skins and seeds.
4. Combine strained tomato liquid with other vegetables and seasonings and blend. (a blender will give better texture than a Cuisinart, but either is acceptable.)
5. Garnish with some sliced green onions, if you like, or taking it a step further, a little chopped salsa of tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, bell pepper garnished with croutons.

Other No-Cook recipes you may enjoy when you want to beat the heat: