Gazpacho as seen on George Hirsch Lifestyle

George Hirsch August 14, 2025

This time of year is perfect to dream about those farm-fresh veggies. But don’t just dream, enjoy one of my favorite refreshing soups anytime!

I also call Gazpacho "liquid salad" — for obvious reasons. Its origin and roots go back to ancient times in Andalusia, Spain, with a version of the recipe believed to be concocted as a re-energizing dish for Roman workers building roads in the early 2nd century Spain. Traditionally, gazpacho recipes include stale bread, tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, garlic, olive oil, and a touch of vinegar.

Gazpacho aka Liquid Salad

Makes four servings

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1/4 cup sweet onion, chopped very fine

4 cups low sodium tomato juice + Juice of 1 lemon

1/4 cup each sweet red + yellow pepper, chopped very fine

1/4 fresh plum tomatoes, seeded, chopped fine

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/4 cup scallions, finely chopped

1/2 cup cucumber, peeled and seeded, chopped very fine

1 Tablespoon cilantro + 1/4 each teaspoon hot sauce, cumin, sea salt + fresh ground black pepper

1/2 cup stale bread, toasted and chopped fine

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Optional: 1 fresh gherkin cut into four wedges and a sprig of dill to garnish. Or, marinate very fresh scallops or shrimp in tequila & hot sauce--top mugs of ceviche style.

*In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients and chill for two hours before serving.

My recipe will give your knife skills a workout. Feel free to use a blender. Keep in mind that the manual chopping of the vegetables will preserve the flavor.

*Tip: Be aware, using a food processor or blender cooks the veggies with friction, in turn, changing the natural, uncooked flavor, which is the true essence of this dish. There are many versions of gazpacho, but I prefer this one without any meat broth, keeping it true to its veggie roots, and finishing it off with a drizzle of good olive oil.

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Sausage Campagnola, an Old World Tradition

georgehirsch August 11, 2025

Cooler nights and a bounty from the garden. Campagnola, an italin style hearty country dish fitting for this time of year.

The old world tradition of sausage and vegetables makes this rustic country dish ideal for cooking on the grill or stovetop. Cook it today and it will taste even better tomorrow.

Note: With this country-style dish, you can add seasonal and readily available vegetables such as mushrooms, zucchini, and peeled carrots.

Sausage Campagnola

Makes 4-6 servings

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2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 pound Italian Ring Sausage or 4 links

½ sweet onion, chopped

6 cloves of garlic

1 red bell pepper, cut into small strips

2 small Yukon potatoes, sliced thin

¼ cup dry white wine

pinch red pepper flakes

3 Tablespoons Fresh Basil, torn

¼ cup pecorino Romano cheese

Preheat a large sauté pan over medium heat.

Add olive oil and sausage and cook until the sausage has browned. Add onion, garlic, red bell, and Yukon potatoes and cook on low to medium heat until soft and a rich golden color and fully cooked.

Add Kale, red pepper flakes, fresh ground black pepper, and wine, cook 4-5 minutes.

Serve topped with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese.

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Frankfurter Wurstchen

George Hirsch August 7, 2025

My number one pick for a hot dog was found in a German rathskeller. A "Frankfurter Wurstchen" (Frankfurter Sausage) is a thin, smoked, then-boiled sausage made from pure pork meat in a sheep's casing. Traditionally, it's served very simply on a plate with hearty brown bread, mustard, and sometimes horseradish. You know it's great sausage when a frank can be served solo without a pile of toppings to drown out the taste. The name "Frankfurter Wurstchen" has been protected in Germany since 1860 as a denomination of geographical origin and may only be used for sausages from the region around Frankfurt am Main, aka just Frankfurt. BTW, this sausage has been around since the 13th century in Frankfurt.

Here in the US, there are so many packaged hot dogs in varieties made from beef, pork, chicken, turkey, and, let's not forget, soy. I have found in the US that most local butchers carry, frankly, a better quality wiener and are even better when they make their signature links. A good example of a German-style butcher frankfurter done well in the US is Forest Pork Store in Huntington, LI, which is as close to an authentic "Frankfurter Wurstchen" as you can get on these shores.

However, if you are in a pinch and your butcher is closed, follow my top criteria for packaged hot dogs. You want to taste the meat and not the fillers. Check the ingredient label and avoid fillers and other ingredients that contain non-food listings you've never heard of. Hebrew National makes an all-natural promise—no fillers or by-products, no artificial flavors or colors—and comes close to fulfilling that statement.

If I'm at home grilling "Frankfurter Wurstchen," I use New York's Brooklyn Hot Dog brand; it's an all-beef smoked hot dog—just about the best of the wurst between a bun. This frankfurter has just the right amount of snap, with a meaty flavor with zero aftertaste. Grill them just right and top with spicy mustard and kraut, too!

In Germany, the frank is served solo with dipping mustard on the side, a sure sign it's something good. It makes you wonder why, in the US, everything from kraut, onions, chili, pickles, relish, salsa, tapenade, and faux cheese toppings makes its way to top off a hot dog. That's got to be the reason we are not allowed to call it "Frankfurter Wurstchen."

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Creamy Tomato Soup as seen on George Hirsch Lifestyle

George Hirsch August 4, 2025

COMFORT and GOODNESS in a bowl. Tomato soup contains vitamins E, A, C, and K, essential minerals, and antioxidants that can keep you healthy.

Plus, one of the most popular types of comfort food combinations is soup and sandwiches. And one of the most popular soup/sandwich combinations is tomato soup and grilled cheese. For my Vintage Classics episode on GHL, I prepared Creamy Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese with farm-fresh bread, cured French ham, and aged cheddar. I combined a mix of fresh ripe San Marzano plum tomatoes and canned San Marzano tomatoes for the ultimate tomato soup. During peak harvest season, when there is a plentiful supply of fresh farm tomatoes, I would use all fresh, but during shoulder seasons, I will mix them with high-quality San Marzano canned tomatoes.

Once all your ingredients are assembled, comfort can be achieved in about thirty minutes. Mmm Mmm, Good!!!

George’s Creamy Tomato Soup

Makes 6-8 servings

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5 large ripe San Marzano Plum tomatoes, deseeded and chopped

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 medium sweet onion, chopped

6 cloves garlic, chopped

2 Tablespoons sweet butter

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

2-4 fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces

2- 15-ounce cans of crushed San Marzano tomatoes

4 cups chicken broth

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon each dried thyme, basil

hot sauce, sea salt, and pepper to taste

Optional: 1 cup half-and-half

Preheat a large 4-quart soup pot.

Add olive oil, onion, garlic, and fresh plum tomatoes. Stir and sweat for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add the butter; when melted, add the flour, stir, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add in the canned San Marzano tomatoes, stir, and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the chicken broth, bay leaves, thyme, and dried basil, and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add fresh basil and simmer for five additional minutes.

Remove bay leaves and take the soup off the stove. For a creamier soup, use a food pulser and puree slightly, leaving a few chunks of tomatoes. Return to the stove, bring it back to a boil, and add the optional half-and-half.

Lower the heat and simmer for 2 minutes.

Add hot sauce, sea salt, and fresh ground black pepper to taste.

Served topped with crunchy croutons and a few drops of olive oil.

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Panzanella

George Hirsch August 1, 2025

Panzanella is a salad originating in Tuscany, Umbria, Marche, and Lazio regions. It’s a cuisine of homegrown ingredients and is traditionally prepared during the summer season in Italy.

Almost any type of vegetable can be added to the garden, such as radishes, peppers, carrots, corn, and green onions. Hard-boiled eggs, olives, grilled chicken & shrimp can also be added to round out the dish.

In the Lazio Region of Italy, tomatoes and onions are omitted. Instead, capers, garlic, anchovies, hot red pepper flakes, and parsley are pulverized together with a mortar and pestle.

This dish's original intention is to use day-old or, sometimes, few-day-old bread. Traditionally, the bread is cubed and then soaked in water until soft; then, all the moisture is squeezed out until dry. The bread is then chopped or crumbled into small pieces.

I personally prefer to use the day-old bread cubes and either sauté slowly in olive oil with a little garlic for 5-10 minutes or toast in a 350-degree oven until light brown. Either way, you choose to start with really good bread, and you can’t go wrong.

Panzanella

Makes 4 servings

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2 cups day-old, very good Italian or French bread, cubed

1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, split; or 4 vine-ripen tomatoes quartered

4 leaves of basil

1 fresh thyme leaf, chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

1 large red onion, chopped 1/4 inch pieces

1 stalk celery, chopped 1/4 inch pieces

1 medium-sized cucumber, peeled & split, seeded, and chopped

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Sea salt

Fresh ground black pepper

2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 cups hearts of romaine, torn into small pieces

Soak bread in water until it softens, then squeeze all water out.

Or, heat a large sauté pan to medium temperature and add 1 Tablespoon olive oil to the pan. Add bread and slowly cook until bread is light brown tossing occasionally.

Make a dressing in the bottom of a large salad bowl with vinegar, Dijon, salt and pepper, garlic, and onion. Allow to marinate for two minutes and then add olive oil and mix well. Add tomatoes, celery, and cucumber, Tear basil leaves, and add to salad with romaine. Toss and serve immediately.

Additional Greens: radicchio, the heart of escarole, Arugula, chicory