So I wrote an ode to my Mom..and now I need to write a long awaited ode to my Dad.
To say my dad is a man of many talents would be quite possibly the biggest understatement of the year. I was watching the Today Show and listening to the author of the Glass Castle recount the many tales of her father and I thought....that's nothing. My dad becomes 100%, wholeheartedly engulfed in hobbies or, what my Mom, Brother, and I like to call "phases." In my 25 years of living, although short lived, these hobbies have ranged various different themes. First off we have the food categories: cake baking, hummus, salsa, spiced nuts, juicing food, dehydrating food, smoothies, granola, smoking meats, I can go on... Then we have the musical instruments: banjo playing, teaching me piano at age six, guitar, voice lessons, the dobro. Of course, the more DIY phases include model airplane building, Adirondack chairs, homemade beer, birdhouse making, or just simply taking a sledge hammer to the wall in your kitchen (which did in fact happen on New Years Eve non the less).
Just three of my dad's phases have stuck. eBay (pretty sure I went to college on that hobby), playing the upright double bass (he is currently in 3 bluegrass bands), and last but certainly not least, tomato planting. By the way, that eBay hobby was so intense that I could probably add packing things into boxes as another hobby. But truth be told, most of the phases listed above revolve around cooking and I absolutely cannot complain.
I'm laughing as I write this right now because I didn't even touch upon the fact that in my basement lies a 6x6 glass terrarium housing Gwen, his new pet chameleon.
As a child I would watch my dad cut up raw tomatoes and eat them in utter disgust. A raw tomato was the ONLY food I detested as a child. In my head, I thought this photo contained a large bowl of tomatoes but just pretend it does. Look at those two early nineties studs.
Just three of my dad's phases have stuck. eBay (pretty sure I went to college on that hobby), playing the upright double bass (he is currently in 3 bluegrass bands), and last but certainly not least, tomato planting. By the way, that eBay hobby was so intense that I could probably add packing things into boxes as another hobby. But truth be told, most of the phases listed above revolve around cooking and I absolutely cannot complain.
I'm laughing as I write this right now because I didn't even touch upon the fact that in my basement lies a 6x6 glass terrarium housing Gwen, his new pet chameleon.
As a child I would watch my dad cut up raw tomatoes and eat them in utter disgust. A raw tomato was the ONLY food I detested as a child. In my head, I thought this photo contained a large bowl of tomatoes but just pretend it does. Look at those two early nineties studs.
In elementary school, a girl told me that if I didn't like raw tomatoes, I must hate ketchup and to this day, I question that girl's smarts. Two very, very different things. Ask anyone in line for the McDonald's drive through. Even throughout college raw tomatoes plagued me. This became a challenge while ordering at restaurants because "no tomatoes please" is an exception often overlooked by overworked part time waiters. If anyone knows me they know that, to this day, I have a love for restaurant made salads. But the risk of those diced tomatoes contaminating things was unnerving.
My uncommon love for acidic and "vinegary" food trumps everything and it became obvious as my father doused his fresh cut tomatoes in red wine vinegar, salt, and olive oil, that this may be something up my alley. As I had my first bite, a couple years ago, I wasn't 100% sold. It was good, don't get me wrong, but I didn't crave it. Now, about four years later, raw tomatoes have become my mantra. What a culinary necessity. I am my Father's daughter. It didn't take long for me to realize we have the exact same taste. Savory, not sweet, Mediterranean flavors, salty, fresh. The best diet if I say so.
My favorite tastes could not be encapsulated more in dish other than Gazpacho. It's basically fresh salsa, which I've always been dying to eat by the spoonful cold. Why is that frowned upon? It also includes a boat load of vegetables which is ok in my boat because who doesn't want to be healthy? Can Gazpacho be a year round thing? I love it so much. Is there a place where it is? Southern Spain? Someone help my uneducated soul!
My uncommon love for acidic and "vinegary" food trumps everything and it became obvious as my father doused his fresh cut tomatoes in red wine vinegar, salt, and olive oil, that this may be something up my alley. As I had my first bite, a couple years ago, I wasn't 100% sold. It was good, don't get me wrong, but I didn't crave it. Now, about four years later, raw tomatoes have become my mantra. What a culinary necessity. I am my Father's daughter. It didn't take long for me to realize we have the exact same taste. Savory, not sweet, Mediterranean flavors, salty, fresh. The best diet if I say so.
My favorite tastes could not be encapsulated more in dish other than Gazpacho. It's basically fresh salsa, which I've always been dying to eat by the spoonful cold. Why is that frowned upon? It also includes a boat load of vegetables which is ok in my boat because who doesn't want to be healthy? Can Gazpacho be a year round thing? I love it so much. Is there a place where it is? Southern Spain? Someone help my uneducated soul!
Ingredients:
2 pounds ripe tomatoes
1 cucumber diced
1 green pepper chopped
1 red bell pepper chopped
1 yellow squash diced
3 cloves garlic
1/2 red onion
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed
1/2 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbs red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1 handful (1/4 cup) of fresh basil
Grilled Shrimp:
1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons old bay seasoning
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
Toppings:
Fresh avocado
Cilantro
Diced Cucumber
To make gazpacho combine all ingredients but salt and pepper, worcestershire sauce, and red wine vinegar, into a food processor. Run on low until you have reached your desired consistency. Stir in worcestershire Sauce, vinegar and salt and pepper until you have reached the desired taste. Garnish with desired toppings.
To make shrimp combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl and toss to coat shrimp evenly. Preheat griddle or grill to medium high heat. Grill shrimp for two minute son each side until shrimp are opaque and pink.
2 pounds ripe tomatoes
1 cucumber diced
1 green pepper chopped
1 red bell pepper chopped
1 yellow squash diced
3 cloves garlic
1/2 red onion
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed
1/2 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbs red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1 handful (1/4 cup) of fresh basil
Grilled Shrimp:
1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons old bay seasoning
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
Toppings:
Fresh avocado
Cilantro
Diced Cucumber
To make gazpacho combine all ingredients but salt and pepper, worcestershire sauce, and red wine vinegar, into a food processor. Run on low until you have reached your desired consistency. Stir in worcestershire Sauce, vinegar and salt and pepper until you have reached the desired taste. Garnish with desired toppings.
To make shrimp combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl and toss to coat shrimp evenly. Preheat griddle or grill to medium high heat. Grill shrimp for two minute son each side until shrimp are opaque and pink.
RSS Feed
