Food traditions die hard, and the 4th of July is not the 4th to me without watermelon. But what do to when that hefty melon you oh-so-carefully picked out lacks that juicy taste so redolent of summer?
I thought I'd done everything right: picked a deep-green melon that was heavy for its size and had no visible dents. I guess I've just been lucky in the past, but this time I was snookered into buying a tasteless watermelon. Not exactly a great way to celebrate independence.
As much as I hate to throw out food, I could see no way to salvage this beast—it seemed this melon was headed to the compost heap. (If I had one. Which I don't.) But I decided to try and save it with a gazpacho, figuring I could add in enough other ingredients to make it taste good, whether or not it resembled watermelon. A shame, perhaps, but at least I wasn't wasting food. Watermelon gazpacho I've had before is often sweet and much more of a dessert; I was looking for savor and spice. To my great surprise the other ingredients actually uncovered the latent flavors of the watermelon, creating a great combo of sweet, spice, flavor, and texture. The result? Summer in a bowl.
Watermelon Gazpacho
© copyright 2008 Mallory McCreary/SnobbyAvocado.com
6 cups cubed watermelon, divided
1 medium jalapeño, half seeded
1/2 cucumber (about 4 inches long), seeded
1 1/2 large red bell peppers
3 whole scallions (both white and green parts)
1 celery stalk
Juice from 1 small lime
1/3 cup cilantro, plus more for garnish
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 6-ounce cans baby shrimp (omit to make vegetarian)
Nonfat plain yogurt
Mix 4 cups of watermelon, jalapeño, cucumber, red bell peppers, scallions, celery, lime juice, cilantro, and salt in a food processor until well combined with few chunks. Add remaining 2 cups of watermelon and process briefly (the idea is to have some larger chunks of watermelon).
Divide gazpacho into small bowls and garnish with a dollop of plain yogurt and cilantro leaves. Sprinkle with baby shrimp, if desired.
Serves 6 to 8.
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