Game-day Bloody Mary Gazpacho & A #SundaySupper Tailgate

By 30aeats.com @Eater30A

Game-Day Bloody Mary Gazpacho

I am having a difficult time this football season, as we once were a family of united LSU fans, and now I am a loner. My daughter chose to attend school at BAMA last year, and now is rooting them on to victory with my Alabama husband, who converted with her as he too has ties to that university. My son just left for Georgia-Tech (what a game that was last week!), and now my pug Oliver and I are left to cheer on my alma mater, who in my personal opinion host the best tailgating parties ever!

I am participating in #SundaySupper this week which is throwing a virtual tailgate party, and you will find wonderful recipes to use all season at the end of this post. Follow along on twitter using the hashtag #SundaySupper, and follow 30AEATS @fromagechick. Feel free to jump in the talk anytime to share your opinions on your favorite team and recipes, September 9, 6 p.m. Central.

Vie + People + Places covers Southern college rivalry and tailgating in their September/October issue, and shared my Bloody Mary Gazpacho with their readers in print, online, and Ipad! It is one of my favorite regional Southern magazines, full of beautiful photos, great content, and helpful resources. I highly recommend that you pick one up, or check them out online here!

Golden Band From Tiger Land, LSU

Though brisk fall days are something we look forward to on the Gulf Coast, as September approaches and football season is on our minds, the weather can still be quite warm and unpredictable, as we have recently seen with Hurricane Issac.

With many games scheduled for kick-off in the morning and afternoon, tailgaters will be looking for something to quench their thirst as well as satisfy their appetites.

My suggestion is a delectable Bloody Mary, combined with cool Gazpacho, which will refresh your guests and feed your crowd easily. No cooking is required, and it can be savored on the go. Best of all, tailgaters of age can add a splash of vodka to kick it up a notch!

Gazpacho is a Spanish raw tomato-based chilled soup, blended with a delightful variety of vegetable produce. The spiced tomato juice packs a punch, while the confetti of chopped vegetables, along with all of their vitamin C, nourishes fans hard at work cheering for their home team.

Bloody Mary Gazpacho

I like my Gazpacho semi-chunky, so I blend only half, adding the other half to the mixture before refrigerating. This enticing soup, filled with an array of spices, perfectly balances the taste of Gazpacho while still evoking the wonderful flavor of a Bloody Mary. It is a winning combination!

Note: This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled as needed.

Bloody Mary Gazpacho

Serves 8.

Ingredients:

  • 1 quart low salt, no msg tomato juice
  • 5 whole Roma tomatoes, stemmed and seeded, diced
  • 2 large celery stalks, finely diced
  • 1 hothouse cucumber, seeds removed, finely diced
  • 1 whole zucchini diced
  • 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
  • 1 red bell pepper, stemmed and seeded, finely diced
  • 1/2 medium red onion, finely diced
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed and seeded, minced
  • 2 large garlic clove, minced
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, or to taste
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 6 dashes of Tabasco sauce, to taste
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped, held out for serving

Optional garnishes:

  • Favorite Vodka
  • Fresh lime
  • 2 ripe Avocado peeled, pitted and cubed

Preparation:

  1. In the bowl of a food processor or in a blender, combine the minced garlic and jalepeno with half the red onion, half the bell pepper, half the cucumber, half the tomato, half the zucchini, half the celery, half the tomato juice, olive oil, white wine vinegar, Tabasco, and a dash of salt.
  2. Pulse until all ingredients are blended well; mixture will have a nice speckled, colorful texture.
  3. Pour into a large bowl and combine all of the other ingredients except the optional garnishes. Stir together, adding salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, as it needs to be served cold.
  4. Remove soup from fridge, and stir in cilantro. Check seasonings to taste one last time. If serving as a soup, ladle into bowls and drizzle with a little olive oil, garnishing with avocado.
  5. To serve with vodka, mix 1 cup gazpacho with 1 ounce vodka. Pour into a glass or plastic cup and serve cold with fresh lime wedges as a garnish.
  6. If someone tailgating nearby is having a shrimp boil, hand them a Bloody Mary and ask for shrimp in return! Place one shrimp on the side of the cup, and it will add to the wonderful flavors of this meal to-go.
  7. Plastic spoons are optional!
#SundaySupper Participants:

Join us on Sunday as we share our favorite tailgate recipes and tips. Hop on twitter at 7pm EST for the live #SundaySupper chat.

The Lineup

Pre Game Warm-ups:

On the Sidelines:

Main Events:

Overtime:

From the Cooler:

Wine Pairings by Wine Everyday