Posted by: Sarah Scheideman , August 9, 2012

Welcome to one of The Coachella Valley Art Scene’s favorite guest blog series titled, “Foodie Rant with Angie Kat.”

Angie Kat is a guest writer to the CVAS who passionate about the art of cuisine and making her own recipes from scratch. She is from Palm Springs, is a talented photographer (provides all her own photo features in the post), makes amazing friendship bracelets, is crafty, a Mommy, and a Farmer’s Market enthusiast.

So, without further ado… I present to you… Angie Kat!!!

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Grilled Tomato Gazpacho

Photos and story by Angelica Quintana (AK Photography)

Hello dear lovelies! Welcome to another installment of Foodie Rant with me, Angie Kat.

It’s the hot bleedin’ summer in Palm Springs! All of us locals are just looking for anything and everything to stay cool n’ classy; pool time, cold drinks, late nights, sun hats, sunscreen and COLD SOUP! I know, I know…cold soup? What the…?!? That doesn’t make sense! That is what I have said many times too, it just feels so wrong and dirty. Soup is supposed to be warm; associated with winter, cozy things, fuzzy socks, rain & fireplaces – not summertime!

A chef friend of mine changed my mind about cold soup with this recipe.

It’s honestly so good, especially if you are a tomato FREAK like myself (my best friend, Alicia, is rolling her eyes and gagging at me right now – I see you tomato hater! hahah).

Yes, I know tomatoes have guts, and those guts are OH!-so-good!! Especially when you grill them and bring out their acid and sweetness – it’s a flavor explosion – combined with the freshness of an English cucumber, coconut milk , lime juice and ginger, OH-MAI-GAAD!

Ok, you have to try this for yourself, TRUST ME. You won’t be sorry, this is one thing I make over and over again.

Check it out!

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INGREDIENTS

8 Organic Tomatoes

½ Organic Red onion , diced

½ cup Coconut milk

1 organic English cucumber, diced

1 Organic , (NON-GMO if you can find it ) Corn on the Cob

1 Shallot, diced

1 T Thyme, chopped

1 1/2 cups Tomato Juice

1 Jalapeno, remove seeds & dice

1 T. Lime Juice (you can add more depending on your liking)

1 T. Ginger , peeled and diced

1 T. Olive Oil

Grilled Shrimp, cilantro oil & Cilantro for garnish ( If you’re allergic to shellfish, no worries, you won’t miss out on flavor in the gazpacho, just leave those out)

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DIRECTIONS

1. Slice your tomatoes in half, rub them lightly with a little olive oil, just so they don’t stick too much to the grill. Turn the grill to Med-high, Grill tomatoes for about 5 minutes each side. Place in bowl, let cool.

2. Saute shallots and corn until tender, set aside and let cool.

3. Add all the other ingredients together into a blender of food processor and blend until smooth , strain (or you can leave chunky, I like the little chunks)

4. Chill for an hour or longer in the fridge. While it’s chillin’ you can grill the shrimp with a little olive oil and salt, pepper, chili powder.

5. Seasoned with salt and pepper. Garnish with 3 grill shrimp, cilantro oil and cilantro leaves.

* For added yum-ness , go ahead and slice up a baguette , grill that too with a little olive oil, nothing is wrong with a little baguette dipping action in this gazpacho! xxxx

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Well friends, I hope you love this as much as I do! Please note, I do use as much organic as i have and can find. Your final product is only going to be as good as the ingredients you put in your creation. Do your self and the world a favor, buy organic as much as you possibly can. Grow your own too! I know the summers are hot here but we can still grow tomatoes really well, as well as peppers, melons and other heat loving plants.

If you need some guidance, the guys at the local hydro shop are incredibly knowledgeable and helpful. Start with a small little garden, you’ll see how rewarding it is and you’ll know EXACTLY what you’re eating and where it’s coming from. Nothing gives you greater peace of mind than that.

That’s all for now, see you next time!

xoxo,