CSA Cooking: Garden Gazpacho with Summer Squash and Cucumber Noodles - Modern Farmer

CSA Cooking: Garden Gazpacho with Summer Squash and Cucumber Noodles

Still swimming in tomatoes, cukes, and zucchini? Here's a tasty way to put them to use.

This recipe is part of the Just Picked series, a partnership between Modern Farmer + Foodterra.

Garden Gazpacho with Summer Squash and Cucumber Noodles

A twirl of raw squash and cucumbers noodles, plus cubes of cucumber and grilled squash and a peppery micro-green garnish, take gazpacho to new heights. Be sure to prepare this soup in advance – the longer it chills in the refrigerator, the better it gets.

  • Olive oil, (as needed)
  • ½ onion, (chopped)
  • 1 clove garlic, (finely chopped)
  • ½ Fresno chile pepper, (cored, seeded if desired, and finely chopped)
  • 7–9 medium-sized ripe tomatoes, (roughly chopped)
  • 2 cups fresh carrot juice
  • 2 cups vegetable juice ((we used Biotta brand))
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 summer squashes, (trimmed, 2 cut lengthwise into ½-inch-thick strips, 2 julienned into noodles using a mandolin)
  • 1 cucumber, (peeled and cut crosswise in half, ½ julienned into noodles using a mandolin, ½ cut in half lengthwise, seeded, and cut into small cubes)
  • Juice of ½ lime
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar ((optional))
  • 1 baguette, (cut into slices)
  • Arugula micro greens (for garnish)
  • Good-quality extra-virgin olive oil (for finishing (optional))
  1. Preheat a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Preheat a grill to medium-high heat.
  2. Coat the hot pot with olive oil. Add onions, garlic, and chile and cook for 2–3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, carrot juice, and vegetable juice and season with a little salt and plenty of pepper. Cook until gazpacho base starts to bubble, 10–15 minutes. Transfer to an ice bath or to a bowl in refrigerator to chill until ready to assemble. 
  3. Season squash strips with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Grill, turning once, until squash gets some color on both sides but still has some bite, 3–4 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool, then cut into small cubes.
  4. When the gazpacho base is cold, use a food mill or a hand muddler to smash it up a bit. Stir in cubes of cucumber and grilled squash, lime juice, lemon juice, and vinegar (if using). Season raw squash and cucumber noodles with olive oil, salt, and pepper; set aside. Brush baguette slices with olive oil, then toast on the hot grill or in a preheated broiler.
  5. To serve, use tongs to twist squash and cucumber noodles together and place in the center of four to six wide bowls. Ladle cold gazpacho around noodles. Finish with some nice olive oil and more pepper. Garnish with micro arugula and arrange a few pieces of grilled baguette around the edge of each serving.

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