Taste
DRINK / CHEERS / CUISINE / FOOD FILES / DINING GUIDE
BY ALISON BAILIN BATZ / PHOTO BY DEBBY WOLVOS
Soup … in the summer? If it’s executive chef Miguel Ortiz’s seasonal gazpacho ($5 per cup or $7 per bowl) at Tonto Bar & Grill, then yes! Rather than starting with a tomato base – as many gazpachos do – Ortiz uses mellow, sweet golden beets. He enhances the sweetness by first roasting them in orange juice before cooling and pureeing them with aromatics, cucumbers, roasted red and poblano peppers, garlic, sherry vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil. The cucumbers add freshness, while the peppers and garlic provide earthiness and heat. As the concoction chills, Ortiz coats pistachios in egg whites, sugar and honey, baking them until crisp. He then pours the gazpacho into a chilled bowl and tops it with colorful microgreens, diced yellow beets, and the candied nuts for a honey-kissed, yet salty crunch. Tonto Bar & Grill, 5736 E. Rancho Mañana Blvd., Cave Creek; 480.488.0698; www.tontobarandgrill.com. So Scottsdale! July ‘18
83