An American (Vegetarian) in Spain

MATTHEW1 COMMENTFROM THE LUNCH BOX, RECIPES, REVOLUTION

Apr 25

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Bread-dippin' Good Ajo Blanco

I’m so pleased to bring you the art and artistry of museum curator and journalist SEBASTIAN PUIG. He has been writing thought provoking articles for years, since well before I knew him in San Francisco. He and U.B. moved to Spain with Stassa years ago–so I suppose she’s all grown up now!–and he has been so good about keeping in touch. I’m thrilled to bring you a post from alunchboxblog’s latest guest blogger.

Straight from Barcelona, ladies and gentlemen, Sebastian:

It’s not always easy being a vegetarian in Spain. Because I also eat fish and seafood–and I live in Barcelona, which is smack on the sea–it’s a challenge, but it’s not impossible. In Madrid, I would call it impossible. (In fact while living in Madrid in the 1990s, I put sea life back in my diet because I grew tired of the vegetable tapas with little bits of ham in them, and the “vegetarian sandwiches” with tuna.) Still, all over Spain there is a general suspicion of those who do not follow the cult of the slaughtered cow and pig. There is a big deli in Madrid called El Museo del Jamón.

Ay Dios Mio!

So, I greet with joy the discovery of an extraordinary Spanish dish that is not based on meat. One of those is little known outside of Andalusia, and almost completely unheard of outside of Spain. While everybody knows about gazpacho, the perfect chilled tomato-garlic-and-vegetable soup for a hot summer day, the secret of ajo blanco or “white gazpacho” is well guarded.

Andalucia Seaside Villiage

My husband U.B. and I first discovered ajo blanco in the swank restaurant of one of Spain’s most charming paradores, a converted fourteenth-century Moorish castle in Carmona, outside of Seville. Since my lactose-tolerance is not high, I at first shied away from the white soup in spite of U.B.’s swooning response to it. Only after asking the waiter, “Que es esto?” and hearing the list of ingredients, did I dive in and become a life-long fan.

Ajo blanco is more than the sum of its parts. In fact, the ingredients at first seem at odds with each other: Bread. Almonds. Olive oil. Grapes. Vinegar. And of course garlic (ajo).

In Garlicky Reverie by the Sea, by the Sea, by the Beautiful Sea!

Here is a recipe, freely adapted from a version that I found at EPICURIOUS.COM:

Toast several slices of country bread without its crusts and soak in a cup of ice water.

Toast about a dozen sliced almonds in a skillet until golden, then grind them in a processor with one clove of garlic.

Squeeze the bread dry and add it to the almond/garlic mixture, along with half a pound of seedless green grapes.

Process until smooth then put it into a bowl and mix it together with 3 Tbsp. of wine vinegar, a half cup of extra virgin olive oil and two cups of ice water.

Strain it through a sieve, forcing as much bread through as possible. Add salt and cayenne pepper, and chill well, at least one hour.

Windswept Spanish Restaurant

Serve with freshly toasted croutons and more green seedless grapes, cut in half.

I know it sounds weird, but trust me.

Last week while once again traveling around the south of Spain, we came across a thicker, dip-like version of what is usually a rather thin soup. Quite a surprise. Just as yummy.

The restaurant was in this waterfront town (see photos to the right and below), Isleta del Moro, which lies with the nature preserve of Cabo de Gata.

Serve soup chilled and picture yourself here while eating:

Seriously? A Grass Verandha?

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