Pineapple Gazpacho
September in Hawaii is typically a warm month. Our trade winds slow down and the humidity feels like sticky rice on your skin. This is due to the fact that we are in hurricane season. While some of you mainlander's begin to feel relief from the long, hot summer, here in Hawaii we experience a sort of tropical sauna for the next few months. The fortunate folks have air conditioners and turn them on. Normally we just open all the windows in the house and let those trade winds blow through.
Want to cool down? Try this tropical breeze of a recipe!
With this cooling pineapple gazpacho recipe you can share in the Aloha Spirit wherever you live any time of the year. You can bring a taste of Hawaii to your table with this easy to make, healthy, and tasty recipe. You can chop the veggies by hand or use a chopper.
We have not been the first to glamorize this exotic fruit. The pineapple was indigenous to the Amazon Rain Forest region of South America over 1000 years ago. This area is now known as Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Brazil. The Indians called the fruit "anana" meaning "excellent fruit". In Hawaii we have adopted the pineapple as a fruit of our own.
On Christopher Columbus' second voyage to the Caribbean, he returned to Queen Isabella in Spain with pineapple plants. The pineapple was considered a fruit of the royalty and prized among the wealthy. Ships would bring pineapples to ports along the New England Coast of the United States but the fruit would be rotted. If a ship had favorable winds it would arrive in port faster and the pineapple was sold to Colonial Confectioners.
The pineapple was so sought after that Confectioner's would rent them to a hostess for a dinner party to be put on display. This same pineapple would later be sold to a more affluent client who actually ate the fruit. The fruit was candied, glazed, dried, and preserved in sugar.
Most of the pineapples that are shipped to Europe are grown in the Azore Islands in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. The Azores share a common climate with Hawaii, as well as other similarities. The Azores are Portuguese governed. The 9 Azore islands are as beautiful as Hawaii. The people there live a healthier lifestyle and grow many vegetables in the rich volcanic soil. Life is at a slower pace and lived more in the moment. The spring waters there are rich in minerals and they believe that each water has a medicinal property. Some water is to be rubbed in the eyes, some drank, and some rubbed on the skin.
Most people associate Hawaii with pineapples. The pineapple has been used as an artistic motif in dishware patterns, fabric designs, sculpted as gate posts, cast into metal hotplates, carved into wood, painted on canvas from the 1600 to present time.
Pineapple is a symbol of hospitality. The fruit has been the center focal point in food displays in the past. Decorating a table buffet display conveys the thought that the hostess spared no expense to ensure the guests dining pleasure. Hotels and cruise ships use the pineapple on their lavish buffets.
The pineapple is the symbol of high spirits of social events. It is the image of Aloha and welcoming people to the islands of Hawaii. It is grown mainly on the island of Oahu in the red volcanic soil. It is grown on Maui and they have the prized Gold pineapples. You can sample this sweet fruit at the plantations where the fruit is grown.
"Pineapple Gazpacho Hawaiian Style"
Ingredients and Supplies Needed:
Sharp knife or veggie chopper
Large bowl or plastic container to hold the gazpacho
1 medium size yellow, ripe pineapple
2 medium firm red tomatoes
1 medium sweet red or orange pepper
1 medium size yellow sweet pepper
1 white onion or Maui onion
1 medium firm cucumber
2 11.5 oz. cans V8 or plain tomato juice
1 Tbl chopped fresh ginger
1-2 Tbl coarse sea salt
1 Tbl chopped garlic
1 small bunch of cilantro
1 small lime
¼ cup olive oil |
Use a large bowl or similar container for the gazpacho soup. You will be adding the chopped ingredients one at a time and putting the mixture in the refrigerator to chill.
Ingredients
The recipe:
2 cups chopped fresh pineapple
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1 chopped yellow pepper
1 chopped orange or red pepper
½ cup chopped onion
1 medium chopped cucumber
2 cans tomato juice, 11.5 oz.
1 Tbl chopped fresh ginger
1 Tbl chopped garlic
1-2 Tbl coarse sea salt
Juice of one small lime
½ to 1 cup chopped cilantro leaves, according to taste
¼ cup olive oil |
Pineapple being sliced
Pineapple being sliced
To cut a pineapple, use a sharp knife. First cut the top leaves off. Then cut away the skin and the little belly buttons on the side of the pineapple. Cut the inside fruit part in sections, leaving the core for disposing. Do not use the core in this recipe as it is coarse and stringy. Perhaps you know ways to use the core. If you do, please share in the comment section after this column.
Chopped orange peppers
Next chop the peppers, onion, cucumber, and tomatoes, in small ¼ inch pieces and place in the bowl. Pour 2 cans of V8 or tomato juice in the same bowl. Add the chopped garlic and sea salt. Chop the ginger real small, it is hot in its fresh form and replaces the chili's that are typically used in Spanish gazpacho. A little goes a long way.
Ginger
Add the remaining ingredients and refrigerate a few hours or overnight. The flavors will marinade and mellow into a fragrant tantalizing taste.
Serve this gazpacho soup cold in small bowl and garnish with chopped cilantro. For a fancy version add some cooked, chilled shrimp and serve in a tall glass. In Mexico they serve a gazpacho shrimp cocktail that is incredibly delicious and memorable.
Pineapple contains bromelain which is a meat tenderizer. You can tenderize meats with pineapple juice. Bromelain aids in digestion as it breaks down proteins. Pineapple is rich in manganese, Vitamin C, and B1. It is also low in calories. Pineapple is a natural diuretic. If you eat this soup for one meal a day it can help you loose weight. The fiber has benefits and this soup is a flavorful way to get some raw veggie's in your diet.
Thank you for reading my column. Please email me with any questions or comments. Feel free to leave any ideas or comments at the end of the column and others will be able to view the comment.
I wish you visions of rainbows and sunshine from the beautiful islands of Hawaii. Remember to spread the Aloha spirit wherever you live. Keep the Aloha alive in your heart and share it with others.
