Recipe Finds : Paellas is an awesome (rice ) dish no matter how you make it

For me one of the reasons to make Paellas is to make an awesome rice dish that includes other tasty items. I usually make Chicken Paella (see my recipe below) but there are quite a few variations and different ways to make it and items to include or discard. I wanted to pickl up “some new tricks to make mine” and I got that wish when I saw Bobby Flay on TV had a Paella throwdown (6/3/2009) against Girard, the Paella man .

I’ve made my versions before . Since I have beef and parts of chicken and the “seed” has already been planted in my head, it is time to make paella. This one will not have mussels, squid or other ingredients so can it be any good. The classic ones include it mos of the time. .

I have eaten Paella in a Kansas City restaurant that is no longer around. It was very good and had that great crunchy tomato rice with saffron. Watching Bobby’s recipe, I thought I would combine his and several others I found. I need to make one with a little crunch great rice. I wanted mine to have more flavor, more crunch and be more “like the big boys”.

I consulted the the recipes below as well as some in my cookbook collection. These were Spanish (by Pepita Aris), The New World Spanish Table ( by Anya con Bremzen) and Spanish (Hilaire Walden).

It came out well. A little crunch, hint of saffron, good flavors with the olives giving it a little extra salty flavor. The rice imparted an extra flavor to the chicken.


Eric’s Paella
by Eric Flescher

4 pcs. Chicken Breast, thighs or legs, grilled or broiled

1 pinch Saffron in the broth

1 Cup vegetable broth or White Wine

1 Medium Onion (peeled & sliced)

i can 6 Tomatoes (chopped small) add the tomato water

1/4 Cup Olive Oil

3-4 Garlic Cloves sliced

2 Cups Rice (Short or Fancy Grain)- Aboria is the best for this)

2 Cups vegetable stock Chicken Stock or Fish Stock

1 Can Peas (drained)


Sprinkle meat pieces with salt. Grill (you can grill or roast yours) chicken

Heat oil on high in paella pan or large skillet. Add garlic and onion. Let get soft for 2 minutes or so.

Add the rice and constantly stir on high to carmelize the rice. Keep stiiring on high for seveal minutes.

Boil two cups of water and add vegetable, beef or chicken bouillon cube. Add a pinch of saffron and stir to make sure it dissolves in the broth.

Add two cups of the saffron broth and let it boil but turn down to low after all broth enters the pan.

Add I can of tomatoes with the tomato liquid and peas.

Add paprika. Add Chicken and put under the rice.

Cook on medium heat for about 20 minutes, stirring all ingredients together.

Add salt to taste. At this point the stock should be very strong and tasty.

Rice should be cooked, but dry, almost crunchy.

Add to 300 F in oven for 15 minutes.

Take out of the oven let it rest/cool for 5 minutes.

Enjoy and eat.


**
Paella chicken and more
Recipe courtesy of Amalia Alban
Show: Calling All Cooks
Episode: Seafood Paella/Kosher Pasta
1 whole chicken, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 1/2 pounds pork chops with bones
Salt
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds green beans
4 garlic cloves chopped
2 small tomatoes, chopped
2 teaspoons paprika
8 cups water
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 teaspoon saffron
1 1/2 cups lima beans
2 1/2 cups arborio rice
3/4 pounds bay scallops
1 pound shrimp
10 clams in shells
1/4 cup white wine
Chopped parsley

Cut chicken and pork into approximately 2-inch pieces, saving the bones. Sprinkle meat pieces with salt. Heat oil in paella pan or large skillet and saute pork, chicken, and bones until brown on all sides (10 to 15 minutes). It is helpful to count the bones now. Push meat and bones to the sides of pan. In the center, saute green beans, garlic, and tomato for approximately 3 minutes. Add paprika to vegetables in center of pan. Add water, bouillon cube, and saffron. Cook on medium heat for about 20 minutes, stirring all ingredients together. Add salt to taste. At this point the stock should be very strong and tasty. Discard the bones (remember the count). Add lima beans and cook 10 minutes more. Push everything to the sides of the pan, add arborio rice to the middle. Push rice under meats and vegetables so that all the rice is submerged in water. Add scallops. Place shrimp on top and cook at medium to high heat for 20 minutes, adding water if needed. Rice should be cooked, but dry, almost crunchy. Cover with a sheet of newspaper and let rest for 10 minutes. Steam clams in a 1/4 cup of white wine for about 3 to 5 minutes until open. Put clams in shells on top of paella. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve in the same pan.

The recipes for this program, which were provided by contributors and guests who may not be professional chefs, have not been tested in the Food Network's kitchens. Therefore, the Food Network cannot attest to the accuracy of any of the recipes.
**
**
Shellfish and Chicken Paella with Saffron Rice Chorizo and Green Peas
Recipe courtesy Bobby Flay, 2008
Show: Throwdown with Bobby FlayEpisode: Paella
•
Lemon Aioli:
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
• *2 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• Freshly ground white pepper
Paella:
• 4 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 cup olive oil, divided
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 10 cups chicken stock, divided
• Large pinch saffron
• 12 littleneck clams, scrubbed
• 1 (2 1/2-pound) whole chicken, cut in 8 pieces or 4 legs and 4 thighs (dark meat)
• 1/2 pound chorizo, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
• 1/4 large onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 cups Arborio (paella) rice
• 12 mussels, debearded and scrubbed
• 8 large shrimp, peeled and deveined, with tail on
• 8 baby octopus
• 4 baby squid, cleaned and sliced into rings, tentacles reserved, and/or 8 ounces cuttlefish pieces
• 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
• 2 cooked lobsters (1 1/2 pounds each), tails in the shell, split lengthwise, claw meat in the shell or out, as desired
• Freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves, for garnish
• 1/2 cup Lemon Aioli
For the aioli:
Directions
Place the garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, egg yolks, lemon juice and zest in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Slowly add the oil, drop by drop at first, until thickened. Season with salt and white pepper, to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use.
For the paella:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the tomatoes in a small baking dish and drizzle with the honey, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and salt and pepper, and roast until soft. Set aside.
Bring the chicken stock to a simmer in a medium saucepan and add a large pinch of saffron. Put about 1/2 cup of the stock in another saucepan, add the clams, and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook just until the clams open; remove the clams from the liquid and set aside, reserving the liquid.
Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a very large skillet or paella pan over medium-high heat. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and add to the heated pan. Cook until browned on all sides. Remove the chicken pieces to a plate. Add the chorizo, onion and garlic and saute until chorizo has browned and the onions are translucent.
Add the rice, about 7 1/2 cups of the chicken stock, the reserved clam liquid, and any juices from the chicken and bring to a simmer. Nestle the chicken in the rice and let cook, uncovered, until the rice is quite al dente, about 15 minutes. Adjust the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer-the rice on the bottom of the pan should form a dark brown crispy crust by the end of the cooking time. If the stock is disappearing too quickly, just add a bit more of the remaining 2 cups.
Add the mussels, shrimp, octopus, squid, and/or cuttlefish, and peas. Cook until the shrimp are pink and the mussels open. Add the lobster, clams and roasted tomatoes and heat briefly. At this point, you should still be able to see liquid bubbling gently; it will settle when you turn off the heat. Fold in the parsley and lemon aioli and mix until combined, season with salt and pepper, to taste.
*RAW EGG WARNING
Food Network Kitchens suggest caution in consuming raw and lightly-cooked eggs. Due to the slight risk of Salmonella or other food-borne illness. To reduce this risk, we recommend you use only fresh, properly-refrigerated, clean, grade A or AA eggs with intact shells, and avoid contact between the yolks or whites and the shell.

**



***


Kosher Paella (15” Paella Pan)



4 pcs. Kosher Half Chicken Breast (cut small)

3-4 Envelopes Puro ground Saffron

1 Cup White Wine

1 Medium Onion (peeled & sliced)

1 Green Pepper (sliced) (Optional)

6 Tomatoes (chopped small)

1/4 Cup Olive Oil

Pimenton (paprika) Sprinkle on Chicken

3-4 Garlic Cloves sliced

2 Cups Rice (Short or Fancy Grain)

4 Cups Chicken Stock or Fish Stock

1 Can Peas (drained)

2 Pimentos (Roasted Red Peppers) (Sliced)

**
Paella chicken and more
Recipe courtesy of Amalia Alban
Show: Calling All Cooks
Episode: Seafood Paella/Kosher Pasta
1 whole chicken, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 1/2 pounds pork chops with bones
Salt
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds green beans
4 garlic cloves chopped
2 small tomatoes, chopped
2 teaspoons paprika
8 cups water
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 teaspoon saffron
1 1/2 cups lima beans
2 1/2 cups arborio rice
3/4 pounds bay scallops
1 pound shrimp
10 clams in shells
1/4 cup white wine
Chopped parsley

Cut chicken and pork into approximately 2-inch pieces, saving the bones. Sprinkle meat pieces with salt. Heat oil in paella pan or large skillet and saute pork, chicken, and bones until brown on all sides (10 to 15 minutes). It is helpful to count the bones now. Push meat and bones to the sides of pan. In the center, saute green beans, garlic, and tomato for approximately 3 minutes. Add paprika to vegetables in center of pan. Add water, bouillon cube, and saffron. Cook on medium heat for about 20 minutes, stirring all ingredients together. Add salt to taste. At this point the stock should be very strong and tasty. Discard the bones (remember the count). Add lima beans and cook 10 minutes more. Push everything to the sides of the pan, add arborio rice to the middle. Push rice under meats and vegetables so that all the rice is submerged in water. Add scallops. Place shrimp on top and cook at medium to high heat for 20 minutes, adding water if needed. Rice should be cooked, but dry, almost crunchy. Cover with a sheet of newspaper and let rest for 10 minutes. Steam clams in a 1/4 cup of white wine for about 3 to 5 minutes until open. Put clams in shells on top of paella. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve in the same pan.

The recipes for this program, which were provided by contributors and guests who may not be professional chefs, have not been tested in the Food Network's kitchens. Therefore, the Food Network cannot attest to the accuracy of any of the recipes.
**

Isaiah's Vegetarian Paella
By: What's Cooking?
Mar 16, 2007

This kosher, vegan paella recipe owes its inspiration to Studentchef's "Vegetarian Paella" (Thank you, Studentchef!) This is a variation of that recipe that contains more traditional paella flavors and is made in such a way that creates a "socarrat", the crusty layer of browned, caramelized rice at the bottom of the pan which adds a certain je ne sais quois to paella. The wider your pan is, the thinner the layer of rice will be and the more flavorful, chewy socarrat you will be able to create. You can also try replacing some of the broth with a splash of white wine, and using marinated artichoke hearts in addition to the other vegetables.

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Ingredients

* 1 pinch saffron (approximately 1/2 tsp)
* 1 medium eggplant, cut into large chunks
* 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
* 1 yellow onion, chopped
* 5 garlic cloves, crushed
* 1 yellow pepper, finely chopped
* 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
* 1 teaspoon dried cilantro
* 2 teaspoons sweet spanish paprika
* 1 cup arborio rice
* 3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
* 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
* 1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder
* 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
* 1 teaspoon dried thyme
* fresh ground black pepper
* 1 cup mushroom, sliced
* 1 cup green beans, cut into thirds
* 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
* 1/4 cup pitted black olives, sliced
* 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced (optional)

Directions

1.
1
Cover saffron with 3 tablespoons of water in a small bowl and set aside. Sprinkle eggplant chunks with salt and allow to sit in a colander for 30 minutes. Rinse and drain the eggplant.
2.
2
Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy pan. Saute the onion, garlic, cilantro, peppers and eggplant for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with paprika and toss. Then add rice, vegetable stock, tomatoes, saffron (along with the water it's been soaking in), salt, cayenne, thyme and generous amounts of freshly ground black pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, uncovered. Stir frequently.
3.
3
Add the mushrooms, green beans and chickpeas. Cook uncovered, stirring often, for another 15 minutes or until the rice has become tender but is still al dente, and the sauce has thickened. Additional broth, water or white wine may be added as needed during cooking to keep the rice moist.
4.
4
Turn the heat up to high for 5 minutes or until a browned, caramelized crust forms on the bottom side of the rice. Test for this crust by inserting a fork into the paella and checking for resistance at the bottom. Watch carefully to make sure the rice does not burn. Remove from heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes before garnishing with fresh parsley and olive slices. Serve hot.

Recipe Finds: Gazpacho

My wife had left for Chicago for a couple of weeks to visit family. So while she is away, I don’t play. A stormchase did not pan out today so I watched the French Open, did some errands, worked on cleaning my office and also shopping for food for dinner.

My plan was to make the Spanish soup called gazpacho which we love. If I opened a restaurant, gazpacho, in some form, would be on the menu. The reasons is its fresh, flavorful and makes a good meal no matter what you do.

I have made several different ones. However I had seen one of Anne Burrel, an American chef and instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City, on her new TV show. But I recognized her first as Burrell is best known as one of Iron Chef Mario Batali's sous chefs in the American television spin-off series Iron Chef America.. Her wispy great spiked hair is unmistakable. The show is a little quirky but she has some very good recipes and she knows her stuff.

She made this recipe and it looked a good one to try.

I found out more about her.



Never tried gazpacho? Well I have several times but this I am always on the lookout for new gazpacho recipes. This one is perfect for anytime but particularly summer as it fresh, cool and goes with so many meals. This one was a good accompaniment for my steak and backed potato.

But I added a little twist to this recipe. I used crushed tomato instead of real tomatoes and did not use tomato juice. This made it more chunky which I like but you can make it less chunky. Also I added a Serrano pepper and several minced jalapeno peppers. I liked the little extra kick. ( Don't want the little heat, skip it!).

My rating 9.6/10

I discovered there are different kinds of gazpacho which I will try this summer. Another ones below is an unusual one from Michelle Bernstein, a noted Miami chef that has Latin over tones. I have to try this one this summer too. If you get it to first , let me know.

More of her recipes: http://www.foodnetwork.com/anne-burrell/recipes/index.html

Gazpacho

Recipe courtesy Anne Burrell
Ingredients

* 8 slices white bread, crusts removed, bread broken into big chunks
* 2 pounds tomatoes, seeded
* 1 English cucumber, peeled
* 1 large white onion
* 1 green bell pepper, seeds and pith removed
* 2 garlic cloves, smashed
* Kosher salt
* High quality extra-virgin olive oil
* 2 to 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
* 1/2 cup to 1 cup tomato juice, if needed

Directions

For the soup:

Soak the bread, in a medium bowl of water to soften, about 15 to 20 minutes. Squeeze out the excess water and place in a large bowl. Coarsely chop the tomatoes, 2/3 of the cucumber, 1/2 the onion, and 1/2 the pepper and add to the bread. Add the garlic, season with salt, and drizzle with olive oil. Mix to combine and let sit for about 20 to 30 minutes to allow the flavors to marry and to let the salt pull some moisture out of the tomatoes.

Meanwhile, for the garnish, dice the remaining cucumber, onion and green pepper into perfect 1/4-inch dice and reserve.

Working in batches, puree the tomato/bread mixture in a blender with the vinegar. Blend in tomato juice to loosen the mixture, if needed. Remove soup to a large bowl and stir in about 1/2 cup of high quality olive oil. Taste for salt and add more, if needed.

Chill. Serve cold garnished with the diced cucumber, pepper and onion. Drizzle with a little more olive oil, if desired.

How refreshing!

**
Bernstein's Almond, Grape and Cucumber Gazpacho
T h i s l i g h t s o u p f r o m C h e f M i c h e l l e B e r n s t e i n i s i d e a l o n a w a r m s u m m e r n i g h t a n d o n l y t a k e s m i n u t e s t o m a k e , a l l w i t h o u t u s i n g t h e s t o v e .

B y M i c h e l l e B e r n s t e i n
T e x t S i z e : A | A | A
S h a r e |
P r i n t
E m a i l

* D i g g
* R e d d i t
* D e l . i c i o . u s
* K a b o o d l e
* W h a t i s s h a r e ?

P h o t o C r e d i t I l l u s t r a t i o n b y M i c h a e l T o l a n d

M o r e f r o m D e l i s h

* M i c h e l l e B e r n s t e i n
* M i c h e l l e B e r n s t e i n ' s C r a b s w i t h F e t a , W a t e r m e l o n a n d A r u g u l a
* B o s t o n C h e f G a b r i e l B r e m e r ' s W h i t e G a z p a c h o
* H a z e l n u t T h y m e M a t c h s t i c k s
* G r e e n G a z p a c h o w i t h S h r i m p

R e c i p e c o u r t e s y o f C h e f M i c h e l l e B e r s t e i n .

I N G R E D I E N T S
1 Ω c u p S p a n i s h M a r c o n a a l m o n d s ( s a l t e d )
Ω t e a s p o o n f r e s h , p e e l e d g a r l i c
Ω t a b l e s p o o n p e e l e d s h a l l o t
2 c u p s c u c u m b e r s , ( E n g l i s h , i f a v a i l a b l e ) , p e e l e d a n d c h o p p e d
2 c u p s s e e d l e s s g r e e n g r a p e s
1 - t a b l e s p o o n f r e s h d i l l
1 Ω c u p s c o l d v e g e t a b l e b r o t h
Ω c u p e x c e l l e n t q u a l i t y e x t r a v i r g i n o l i v e o i l
1 - t a b l e s p o o n s h e r r y v i n e g a r
2 t a b l e s p o o n s d r y s h e r r y w i n e
S a l t a n d B l a c k p e p p e r , t o t a s t e

P R E P A R A T I O N

1 . I n a b l e n d e r , a d d t h e a l m o n d s , g a r l i c , s h a l l o t , c u c u m b e r , g r a p e s , d i l l a n d b r o t h a n d p u r e e u n t i l v e r y s m o o t h .

2 . W h i l e b l e n d e r i s r u n n i n g , a d d t h e v i n e g a r , s h e r r y w i n e , a n d d r i z z l e i n t h e o l i v e o i l .

3 . P l a c e f i n i s h e d s o u p i n t h e c o o l e r u n t i l c h i l l e d .

4 . S e r v e w i t h a g a r n i s h o f s l i c e d g r a p e s , c r u s h e d a l m o n d s a n d d i l l .

Culinary Explorations : Gazpacho, Grapes and New Ingredient Find (VerJus)

I found information online concerning this restaurant after seeing Bobby Flay’s Boy Meets Grill show. On this episode, he highlighted the restaurant Malaga in NYC where he frequents. Urbanspoon did not have much about the restaurant or any related reviews which is surprising because had been around for many years. Perhaps the Urbanspoon crowd has not found it yet . But I found more at

http://newyork.citysearch.com/profile/7150627/new_york_ny/malaga_restaurant.html#profileTab-reviews

This place does a lot of tapas, lobster and Spanish / Mediterranean inspired dishes. One day it will be on my radar to visit and try for myself. But for now I wanted to find some gazpacho recipes that were different than the ones that I normally create. Most of the ones I have made and which we like are the tomato based variety. However, ones with grapes sounds so different and could go with many other meals.
After I was in Boulder, CO at my daughter’s graduation and her favorite restaurant there , Mediterranean, I started to look for restaurants like this in the Kansas City area. There are not many "pure"Mediterranean restaurants in this area. Some have the entrees so I went looking for more foods to try.

I’ve made falafel and more for hundreds of people at the Ethnic Enrichment Festival at Swope Park, Kansas City, MO, the last couple of years. It is non stop, from earlyh morning until night. Making falafel, frying, cutting the pita, making salads, working with the rest of the people in the Israeli booth, plating the different entrees or appetizers, and also handing out items at the check out and taking the money. It’s a lot of fun and I also take look at the other booths also see what interesting food items they have. But I digress.

I’ve never made white gazpacho but since hearing about it from Bobby Flay’s show, I think it might be a great and festive soup to try someday. One reason that I like searching for new recipes is I learn more myself . One of the ingredients that Flay uses in this recipe is called VerJus which I never hear of . Looking up some sources I found a good definition and recipoe for it. VerJus can be used as an alternative to vinegar or simply added as an acid related condiment, to bring out the natural flavors foods. Sounds good to me and I will have to try it as well.

I also found a slightly different one that is good too (see below). Enjoy and let me know what you think. I will make them soon and comment myself.
**
Chilled White Gazpacho

Recipe courtesy Bobby Flay

Show: Boy Meets Grill Episode: Mediterranean
Ingredients

* 1/2 cup lightly toasted almonds
* 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
* 2 cloves garlic, smashed
* 2 1/2 cups white grapes
* 1 cup white grape juice
* 1/2 cup water
* 2 slices country white bread, crusts removed and cubed
* 1 cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks
* 2 to 3 tablespoons verjus (VerJus can be used as an alternative to vinegar or simply added as an acidulant - to bring out the natural flavors in your foods. see recipe below)
* 2 to 3 tablespoons walnut oil
* Chopped chives, for garnish
* Toasted slivered almonds, for garnish, optional
* Champagne grapes, optional

Directions

Place almonds, pine nuts, garlic, grapes, grape juice, water, and bread in a blender and puree until smooth. Strain the mixture into a bowl. Chill the soup for at least 30 minutes.

Remove soup from refrigerator and fold the whipped heavy cream into the soup. Finish with a few tablespoons each of the verjus and walnut oil. Ladle into serving bowls and garnish each with chives, almonds and grapes, if desired.
**
VerJus can be used as an alternative to vinegar or simply added as an "acidulant" ( acid like condiment) - to bring out the natural flavors in your foods.
Finally found a very nice website with the recipe.
http://18thccuisine.blogspot.com/2005/01/verjus.html
Here is Madeleine Kamman's recipe for verjus: "2 pounds green grapes (berries only), as green and sour as possible but already juicy (1 kg.), sugar, 90 proof alcohol or Armagnac, wine vinegar. Select about 30 very large berries and prick them with a fork in 4 different places. Put the berries in a half-gallon jar. Crush the remainder of the grapes. Rinse and squeeze dry a large piece of cheesecloth. Line a strainer with the cheesecloth and strain the grape juice, squeezing well to extract all the juice. Measure it accurately. For each cup (1/4 liter) of grape juice obtained, measure 1/4 cup (75 g) of sugar, 2 cups (1/2 liter) of alcohol and 1/2 cup wine vinegar (1 generous dl). Dissolve the sugar in the grape juice. Add the alcohol and vinegar; pour over the berries in the half-gallon container. Store in a cool place (60-65(F) for at least 2 months before using. It keeps forever, and is good in all chicken dishes, with ham, ducks and so forth. A supply made with 1 quart of grape juice, 2 quarts of alcohol and 2 cups of vinegar lasts one year." (Try this with apples off that flowering crab in your front yard; the taste should be very close to true Canadien.) __________________________
*


White Gazpacho with Grapes and Toasted Almonds

2007 Ellie Krieger, All rights reserved

Show: Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger Episode: Get the Party Started

* RECIPE
Ingredients
* 2 large English cucumbers (or 3 large regular cucumbers), peeled and roughly chopped
* 3 slices white bread, crusts removed
* 1/2 cup warm water
* 3 cloves garlic
* 6 scallions, whites only, divided
* 1/4 cup white wine vinegar or Sherry vinegar, plus more, to taste
* 1 teaspoon lemon juice, plus more to taste
* 1/4 cup plus 4 teaspoons slivered almonds, lightly toasted, divided
* 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more, to taste
* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 1/2 cup green grapes, halved


Directions

Set aside 1 cup of chopped cucumber for a garnish. Soak the bread in water until soft, about 2 minutes. Place soaked bread, the rest of the cucumber, garlic, 3 of the scallions, vinegar, lemon juice, 1/4 cup of the almonds, salt and 3 tablespoons of olive oil in the bowl of a food processor and process until cucumbers are completely blended and liquid and almonds are almost completely invisible, about 1 to 2 minutes. Season with additional salt and vinegar, if desired.

To serve, ladle 1 cup gazpacho into a bowl. Mound 1/4 cup reserved chopped cucumber, 1 tablespoon scallions, 2 tablespoons grapes and 1 teaspoon almonds in the center of the soup.