little jars of magic … Tuscan Herb Salt

It’s been a good gardening year on my end, some sort of mystical mix of heat and rain and dry spells in between have done wonders for my little community plot. I went on vacation for a few weeks, leaving waist high plants and came home to 6 ft tomato vines and giant kale trees. It was shocking how much everything grew in my absence. The herbs have been spectacularly lush this year as well – the usual parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme as well as oodles of mint. The only thing that didn’t go so well was the basil, which was unfortunately choked out by the tomatoes. C’est la vie. Last week, in an effort to regain control, I gave the herbs an aggressive trim resulting in a massive amount to deal with back home. I needed a recipe that used large quantities, not a single herb sprig. Volume! I needed volume! 

I searched and I searched and there was one standout idea: herb salt. It used 3 cups of herb leaves – huzzah! – as well as a lot of sea salt I had hanging about. This was ideal, I could use up all the things. Even better, herb salts are a nifty little pantry trick to add some quick and easy flavor to a myriad of things. Sure, I was falling into my old habit of turning one thing laying around into another thing that would lay around, however, I wisely chose to ignore this annoying little fact. 

This version, based on the herbs I had, would be Tuscan-ish – oregano, thyme, sage, rosemary, garlic and lemon. Bingo. Big handfuls of the herb leaves were pulsed in a food processor with a few garlic cloves, the zest of a lemon and a little of the salt until finely ground. Combined with the remaining salt and spread on a sheet pan for a few days to dry, with a stir now and then, the whole house smelled delicious.

The first thing I did with that salt? Roasted a chicken. It was delightful. Rubbed a whole bird with the salt, stuffed a handful of fresh herbs and half a lemon in the cavity and roasted until a gorgeous, golden brown. Perfection. Really really good. The skin was a crispy golden color, the meat was juicy, tender and wonderfully flavorful and it was all incredibly easy. I intend to do this again very soon, as well as add it to some roasted potatoes, maybe crust some lamb chops and sprinkle over the next tomato tart I bake. The possibilities are endless.

STRESS THERAPY BAKING FACTOR: WHEW. Use all the things up. This one uses all those herbs accumulating in your garden or window boxes and turns them into a little jar of wonder. If that isn’t the happiest, most satisfying thing, I don’t know what is. Easy kitchen magic. Add another one to file of smart ideas.

fourteen years ago: Herbal Infused Simple Syrups, Spaghetti & Fresh Tomato Sauce, Gazpacho, Spicy Garlic Refrigerator Pickles, Panzanella

thirteen years ago: Peach Blackberry Cobbler, Ginger Peach Hand Pies, Bacon Waffles, Peach Pandowdy

twelve years ago: Raspberry Crème Croustilant, Vinegary Cole Slaw, Fresh Tomato Tart, Tomato Confit

eleven years ago: Breaking Bread with Emmanuel Hadjiandreou, Figgy BBQ Sauce

ten years ago: Pimento Cheese, Quick Cherry Tomato Pasta Sauce, Apricot Pistachio Frangipane Tart, Tomato Chile Jam, Yunnan Pineapple & Tomato Salad, 

nine years ago: Plum Upside Down Cake, Modern Three Bean Salad, Fresh Mint Limeade, Deep Dish Plum Almond Tart

eight years ago: Iced Tisane, Stuffed Round Zucchini, Pickled Cherry Tomatoes, Mexican Corn Salad, Taking Advantage of the Last Bits of Summer 

seven years ago: Zucchini Ricotta Galettes, Brazilian Coconut Quindim (Coconut Flan),  Brazilian Seafood Stew (Moqueca), Sticky Spicy Sweet Chicken Wings

six years ago: Roasted Canned Tomatoes, Quick Zucchini Pickles, Roasted Peach Sour Cream Ice Cream, Cowboy Beans

five years ago: Watermelon Jicama Salad

four years ago: Almond Summer Fruit Galette, Hatch Chile Queso Dip

three years ago: Chili Crisp Wings, Lulu’s Two Bean Salad, Frosted Hepburn Brownies

two years ago: Peaches, Halloumi, Mint Vinaigrette 

last year: Small Batch Raspberry Rhubarb Jam

TUSCAN HERB SALT makes about 3/4 cup

5 large garlic cloves, peeled & roughly chopped

½ cup coarse sea salt

3 cups loosely packed herb leaves – any combination of rosemary, thyme, sage, marjoram and/or oregano 

zest of 1 lemon

1. In the workbowl of a food processor, combine the garlic and 2 tablespoons of the salt. 
2. Pulse 10-12 times until the garlic is chopped medium-coarse. 
3. Add the herbs and continue pulsing until the mixture is the texture of very coarse sand, stopping frequently to scrape. 
4. Transfer the mixture to a sheet pan and combine with the remaining salt. If your salt is particularly large grained, pulse in the food processor to break it down a little first, then stir in.
5. Leaven a cool dry place for a couple of days to dry, stirring a couple times per day. 
6. Store in a clean dry jar. 

TUSCAN SALT ROASTED CHICKEN

one 3 ½ pound whole chicken, room temperature

3 tablespoons Tuscan Herb Salt

½ lemon

handful of fresh herbs

1. Remove the innards from the chicken (reserve for another use) and rinse under cold water.
2. Pat dry the outside and inside of chicken with paper towels. 
3. Place in a shallow roasting pan, baking pan or cast iron skillet. Use kitchen scissors to snip off the tail, if needed. If you can, elevate the chicken in some way either with a wire rack or place on top of some potatoes or cut vegetables.
4. Generously sprinkle about a tablespoon of the herb salt into the cavity and over the back and sides of chicken. 
5. Stuff half a lemon into the cavity as well as a big handful of fresh herbs – thyme, oregano, rosemary, sage, parsley – whatever you have. 
6. Tuck the wing tips underneath the chicken and tie the legs together with kitchen string. (If you don’t have kitchen string, leave the legs as they are.)
7. Sprinkle the remaining herb salt generously over the breasts, coating thoroughly. 
8. Let sit for 30 minutes at room temperature.
9. Preheat oven to 450°F.
10. Roast 50 minutes. 
11. Continue roasting until the juices run clear when skin is pierced with a knife, 5-10 minutes longer and until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into a thigh, not touching bone, reads 160°F. 
12. Remove from the oven, tent with foil and let rest for 10 minutes before carving.
13. If you like, make a pan sauce with the rendered fat in the pan, some low sodium chicken stock and a few sprigs of herbs. Reduce by 1/3 then whisk in a knob of cold butter until smooth. 

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new tasty things … Sambal Matah with Ramps

It’s full on ramp season right now in Chicago and people are losing their god damn minds. Happens every year for those few weeks. For those that don’t know, ramps are wild onions that are foraged in these parts. They look like a scallion with bits of purple and wide green leaves, taste like a cross between an onion and garlic and are a sure sign that spring has arrived. Every year I get a pound or two from a friend and every year I’m a little stumped on what to do with them. I’ve pickled, I’ve kimchi’d, I’ve pesto-ed and I’ve learned a few things along the way. One, I don’t care for pickled ramps. Two, ramp green kimchi is the best thing ever and is stunningly, shockingly even, pungent. Whew. Three, my friend Joe makes better ramp pesto than I and sells it from his stand at the farmers market for 10 bucks. Worth it. And finally, I’m always looking for new ideas. This year I took about two pounds of gorgeous ramps and made a few things: I grilled a handful and used them on a pizza, made a little pesto (which is how I know Joe’s is better) then I turned the greens into kimchi, because it’s wonderful and I love it, funk and all. But I still had a bunch of bulbs to deal with. What to do. What to do.

So I turned to that helpful little tool we call google and asked: “what do I do with ramps?” I came across an article on the Food & Wine site – “16 Chefs on Their Favorite Ways to Cook Ramps” – super helpful! The very first post from Chef Cedric Vongerichten caught my interest: “Sambal matah is a traditional sauce/condiment that first originated in Bali. My variation of sambal matah sauce uses lemongrass, kaffir, lime, chilies, and I replace shallots with ramps for a seasonal component. The bulb of the ramp is grilled, and the green stem is chopped. I love to pair it with a piece of fish, lamb, or suckling pig.” Ummmm. I could get on board with this one.

I loved this idea and started googling “sambal matah” for a better idea on how to make the stuff. Just reading about the tart-sweet-spicy combination had my mouth watering. It’s all those wonderful southeast Asian flavors that I love. Lemongrass. Lime. Garlic. Makrut lime leaves (previously known as kaffir lime and one of my very favorite ingredients ever). Chilies. Normally made with thinly sliced shallots, I loved the idea of replacing those with thinly sliced ramps as their garlicky flavor would work so well with the other ingredients. I set about rounding things up.

I already had the ramps so that was easy and I opted to use just the bulbs, sliced raw as the shallots would be. What I hadn’t counted on was the challenge in finding the lime leaves. I actually have a small lime leaf tree that I’ve carefully coddled for years but the poor thing had a rough winter, much like us all. It shed all its leaves a few months ago in some kind of protest and I’m slowly nursing it back to health. Since it had no leaves to give, I stalked my local Thai market. It took three trips – three! – to track them down (I discovered that they get small infrequent shipments that are often sold out by noon) but I finally snagged some for myself. I realize this isn’t an option for many but I do encourage you to seek them out; they’re wonderful. Failing that, you can substitute regular lime zest for the makrut leaves. It won’t be quite the same but it will be delicious. 

At the same market I easily found the rest – the shrimp paste, Thai chilies, lemongrass and some fat juicy limes. Finely chopped/sliced and all mixed together with a few other things, it was mighty delicious but there’s one final step that takes it to the next level: hot oil. Heat oil to sizzling then add lemongrass and a bit of shrimp paste, then pour it over the mixture. It pops and sputters and brightens all the flavors. I found a lot of conflicting information on which oil to use; many said coconut, others said vegetable and a few said peanut. In the end, I went with coconut for the flavor but am fully aware of the drawbacks. Coconut oil solidifies when refrigerated; not ideal. I countered this by leaving it at room temp until needed (about an hour) and rather than heating the refrigerated leftovers, I let the container to sit on top of my oven/stovetop to warm ever so slightly and gently. Worked perfectly. 

I grilled off a piece of arctic char and simply spooned the sambal on top. It was utterly delicious. Mouthwatering crazy delicious. So good I thought about eating it twice in one day. I never do that. Bright and fresh and spicy and tart, it was fantastic on that piece of fish, reminiscent a bit of a Southeast Asian pico de gallo. I could easily see it paired with something rich and fatty, like pork or fried chicken as the chef recommends; the acidity would work so well with the rich meat. This was a great find and one I’ll make with the shallots those other 49 weeks ramps aren’t in season.

STRESS THERAPY BAKING FACTOR: OH. MY. As I said, this was a great find. Kudos to the Balinese. Full of wonderful, mouth watering flavors it instantly transports me to somewhere beach-y and beautiful. Damn I’ve missed traveling. For a relatively simple relish, it certainly packs a ton of flavor. A definite keeper. I also think need to spend more time with the cuisine of Bali. Looking forward to seeing what else they have.

Cinco de Mayo celebrations: Avocado Lime Tequila Popsicles, Scallop Ceviche, Queso Fundito, Spicy Mango Lemonade, Horchata Strawberry Swirl Ice Cream, Coconut Tres Leches Ice Cream, Bacon Fat Polvorónes, Cotija Churros with Guava Sauce, Mexican Chocolate Pudding Pops, Michelada Style Clams, Strawberry Hibiscus Popsicles, Watermelon Aqua Fresca, Pico de Gallo White Bean Salad, Spicy Pineapple Paletas, Blender Gazpacho, Watermelon Jicama Salad, Mexican Corn Salad, Hatch Chile Queso Dip, Machaca – Mexican Shredded Beef, Machaca Enchiladas, Chicken Sour Cream Enchiladas, Sweet Pumpkin Empanadas, Cotija Cumin Shortbread

twelve years ago: Brown Butter Banana Bread

eleven years ago: Kolacky, Polish Butter Cookies, Pretzel Dogs, Peanut Butter Bars, Homemade Saltines, Kentucky Derby Tarts  

ten years ago: Sticky Bun Bread, Roasted Garlic Potatoes, Homemade Crème Eggs

nine years ago: Fresh Goat Cheese, Strawberries in Hibiscus Syrup, Pickled Ramps, Popovers & Strawberry Butter, Cultured Butter

eight years ago: Classic Yeast Coffeecake, Escargot Roasted Mushrooms, Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons, Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies, Lemon Loaf Cake

seven years ago: Guinness Crème Anglaise

six years ago: Flourless Chocolate Cookies

five years ago: Soft Potato Rolls, Coconut Pound Cake, Red Curry Firecracker Shrimp with Sweet Chile Dipping Sauce, Giardinara Cheese Bread, Blueberry Crumb Cake, Raspberry Speculoos Frangipane Tart, Turtleback Cookies

four years ago: Greek Yogurt Cheesecake with Fig-Date Compote, Parisian Gnocchi with Asparagus and Brown Butter, Creamy Radish Soup, Homemade Crème Fraiche

three years ago: Pantry Clam Chowder, The CBJ (grilled cashew butter, cheese and fig jam sandwich), Sweet & Spicy Cashew & Coconut Mix

two years ago: Vietnamese Style Chicken Salad, Candied Jalapenos

last year: Roasted Cabbage with Miso Vinaigrette, Sourdough Crêpes, Small Batch Cinnamon Rolls, Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding, Chorizo & Cornbread Strada (Savory Bread Pudding) 

SAMBAL MATAH WITH RAMPS

Makes about 1 cup

Originally from Bali, sambal matah is a spicy and refreshing condiment that goes well with just almost everything, but most especially fish and seafood. Use more or less chilies depending on how spicy you like things – the 5 thai chilies I used were pleasantly spicy. No ramps available? Use the more traditional shallots. No lime leaves? Substitute lime zest. Make sure you use the tender inner bulb part of the lemongrass, slice it thin then give it rough chop as the pieces can sometimes be a little fibrous.

5 bird’s eye or Thai chilies, finely sliced (about 1 Tablespoon)

¾ cup thinly sliced ramp bulbs (85g/3oz) or thinly sliced shallots (about 5-6)

1 large garlic clove, finely minced 

2 large kaffir lime leaves, stems removed then thinly sliced (about 1 teaspoon) (or ½ teaspoon fresh lime zest)

1 ½ Tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon shrimp paste

1 lemongrass stalk, peel and use tender white inner bulb only, sliced thinly then roughly chopped (about 1 ½ Tablespoons)

3 Tablespoons coconut oil or vegetable oil

1. In a medium bowl, combine the chilies, ramps or shallots, garlic, lime leaves, lime juice, salt and sugar. Set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a small pan over medium-low heat until it’s sizzling. 
3. To the hot oil, add the shrimp paste and lemongrass and stir until fragrant. 
4. Pour the hot oil mixture into the chili mixture. Stir to combine.
5. Serve and store the leftover in an airtight container for up to one week. If using coconut oil, it will likely firm up in the refrigerator. Warm very gently to preserve the fresh flavor.

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big flavor in minutes … Maurine’s Cranberry Chutney

I’ve discovered that Thanksgiving cranberry sauce is a deeply personal thing. As a kid, it was the jellied canned type; the ridges and distinctive sound of the jelly releasing from the can were as much a part my Thanksgiving tradition as turkey and stuffing. Around 12 years old, I got snooty and insisted on whole berry cranberry sauce, ironically also from a can. Alas, my true snootiness had yet to be refined. That came in my twenties, as I became a more involved cook and hosted my first Thanksgiving. Because I am an absurd overachiever and apparently hadn’t taken on enough for my first attempt, I made a sauce with whole, fresh berries from the recipe on the back of the bag. While I haven’t hosted many Thanksgivings of my own, I’ve discovered that offering to make the sauce is easy and happily accepted by harried hosts. For years, I used this triple berry sauce and while it remains my ideal of a classic cranberry sauce, I’m always open to new ideas. This is where my friend Maurine stepped in.

I met Maurine through my friend Kate Hill in their beautiful corner of Southwest France. She is a delightful woman, a California transplant full of energy and light and ideas with a big laugh and incredible blue eyes that sparkle. I swear, her eyes truly sparkle. I just adore her. She has a great blog full of stories of her life in Southwest France and has been doing really fun French cooking classes on Facebook throughout the pandemic. Check her out! Several years ago, she posted a picture on Instagram of her cranberry chutney, a tradition in her house. I was intrigued and she generously shared her recipe; a mix of fresh cranberries, whole orange, dried fruits and spices. Let me make this abundantly clear: it is delicious. Incredibly delicious. A wonderful mix of sweet and tangy, a little spicy; full of bright flavors and interesting textures. It is great as a turkey accompaniment but really shines on a leftovers sandwich. Don’t limit yourself to Thanksgiving and Christmas, it works wonders on a cheese plate any time of the year and is wonderful with goat cheese and cheddar in particular. One Christmas I got really crafty and molded a cheeseball around it so there was a cranberry chutney surprise center. Delightful! 

This is one of those dump it all in a pot and let ‘er rip kind of recipes that I really appreciate. It starts with fresh cranberries and is enhanced with a variety of fresh and dried ingredients, spices and just enough vinegar to give it that tangy chutney hit. The orange – I used clementines – is chopped whole, rind and all, and thrown into the pot. As a lover of candied rind, this absolutely delights me. The dried fruit – cranberries, figs, raisins, cherries – can be varied to your tastes. I really like the addition of dried figs but I didn’t have any so I threw in a few prunes, purchased from a village near Maurine so it felt perfectly appropriate. I also switched out the raisins for currants. Hard, dry little unattractive nuggets. (FYI, chutneys are great uses for those dried fruits that maybe don’t look so hot but still have great flavor. The heat/moisture combo revives them quite nicely.)  I would also encourage you to not skip the nuts as they add a nice texture to the finished chutney; the recipe calls for pistachios but any nut will do. Whatever your ingredient mix, bring it all to a boil until the cranberries pop, about 3-4 minutes, and it’s done. It will take you longer to round up the ingredients than it will to cook.

I don’t know what your Thanksgiving plans are under these new covid surges but I urge you to be smart and be careful. As much as we absolutely hate it, in person indoor gatherings are risky so it’s time to think differently. My friends are planning a Friendsgiving potluck where we each claim a dish and portion it out. We’ll meet up somewhere for an exchange, each person going home with a full dinner. A few hours later, we’ll reheat, regroup and dine together via zoom call. It’s not traditional or what any of us would choose given the option but we’re adapting. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate these people. I’m planning on making this chutney and raising a glass in Maurine’s general direction.

STRESS THERAPY BAKING FACTOR: EASE INTO IT. Maurine likes to make a double batch and gift it to friends and I think that might be a wonderful thing to do in these weird times. I’ve made smaller ½ batches, often in the offseason with frozen cranberries that work perfectly. It’s a great thing to have on hand as it really elevates deli counter turkey sandwiches. And here’s a hot tip – spread some on the bread before making a grilled cheese. Swoon.

Some other great Thanksgiving recipes: 

appetizers – Bacon Cheddar Gougeres, Southern Cheese Straws, Baked Brie with Savory Fig Jam, Port Wine Cheese Log, Spicy Seeded Parmesan Straws, Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms, Antipasto Squares, French Onion Stuffed Mushrooms, Bacon Wrapped Dates, Spiced Pecans, Parmesan Black Pepper Crackers , Mustard Puff Pastry Bâtons

starters & side dishes – Maple Bourbon Carrots, Roasted Delicata Squash – 4 Ways, Maple Mustard Glazed Delicata, Brussels Sprouts & Shallots, Baked Corn Pudding, Thanksgiving Stuffing Stuffed Squash, Roasted Stuffed Squash, Easy Squash Carrot Soup, Sherry Candied Walnut Salad, The Original Kale Salad, Kale Salad with Crispy Salami & Chickpeas

desserts: French Apple Tart, French Apple Tart for a Crowd, French Apple Pie, Salted Caramel Apple Pie, Cider Apple Pie, Classic Apple Pie, Simple Apple Tarts, Gingerbread with Bourbon Sauce, Classic Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Roulade, Sweet Pumpkin Empanadas, Pumpkin Bundt Cake, Cranberry Crumble Tart

eleven years ago: Cider Donuts

ten years ago: Classic Wedge Salad with Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing

nine years ago: Maple Buttermilk Spoonbread with Glazed Pears

eight years ago: Kale & Squash Salad, Lemon Slice Cookies

seven years ago: Sunday Lunch Ramen, Apple Cider Rolls, Pumpkin Spice Granola

six years ago: From Scratch Rum Cake

five years ago: Caldo Verde (Portugese Kale Soup)

four years ago: Creamy Steel Cut Oats with Roasted Pumpkin and Pumpkinseed Crumble, Turkey Egg Drop Soup,  

three years ago: Chunky Applesauce Cake, Crispy Squash Sandwich, Dairyland Sour Cream Apple Bars

two years ago: Creamy Spinach Artichoke Dip

last year: Date Bundt Cake with Brown Sugar Caramel Glaze

MAURINE’S CRANBERRY CHUTNEY – from Maurine’s recipe

Makes about 2 cups

12 ounces fresh cranberries (1 bag)

1 ½ cups sugar

1 medium orange or 2 clementines, chopped 

½ onion, finely chopped

½ cup raisins (I used currants)

¼ cup pistachio nuts, chopped

6 dried figs, chopped (I used prunes)

½ cup dried cherries

½ cup dried cranberries

¼ cup white vinegar (I used cider vinegar)

1 Tablespoons fresh ginger, finely chopped

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 ½ teaspoons mustard seed

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1. Combine all ingredients in a large, heavy, nonreactive saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. 
2. Increase the heat and let the mixture boil until the fresh cranberries pop, about 3-4 minutes.
3. Let sit, covered, off the heat for 30-60 minutes to allow the dried fruit to fully plump.
4. Transfer to a clean jar and refrigerate. I like to let it sit for a few days before using to let the flavors fully meld but have been known to make a sandwich and spoon some right out of the pot too. Will keep refrigerated for months.

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new forms, new uses … Preserved Lemon Paste

Every couple of years, usually when I find myself with an abundance of meyer lemons, I decide to make preserved lemons, a staple in Moroccan cooking and other Middle Eastern cuisines. I cut my lemons in half, carefully removing as many seeds as I can find, pack them in a clean jar with a lot of sea salt, topping off with fresh lemon juice if needed. Every few months, when I remember (i.e. rarely), I’ll give the jar a shake or a turn. The salt slowly dissolves, softens the rind and preserves the lemons. True words here: once cured, I never know what to do with them. Once I made a delicious lamb tagine, happily adding a few diced lemons and was quite pleased with myself. That was the one time I actually used them properly, partly because I’m never really sure exactly what to do with them but mostly because I forget I have them. They sit on a shelf where I promptly forget about them as they slowly turn from bright yellow to unattractive brown. Forgotten preserved lemons are not particularly attractive.

A few months ago, my lovely friend Jenn gave me a jar and to be honest, hers looked a helluva lot better than mine. Bright yellow with whole cloves and allspice berries throughout, she stores hers in the fridge. Maybe that’s the secret to keeping them a pretty yellow, the refrigeration helps hold the color? (I mean, look at the two jars below in the photo. Guess which one is mine?) Regardless I now had two jars I didn’t know what to do with. Time to change that. I was spurred into action. Well, spurred into googling what the hell to do with these things beyond throwing a few bits into a salad dressing or making a tagine every five years. 

In researching uses for preserved lemons, I came across a really great idea – turn it into a paste. This was an extremely appealing to me – much easier to use and I was less likely to loose track of it in the fridge versus on a storage shelf. I liked this idea. I liked it a lot. I had seen a jar of a similar paste in a spice shop a while ago, got distracted and forgot to buy it. (Maybe that’s a good thing because then I’d have 3 jars of preserved lemon things I didn’t use.) A little research showed that brand contained just lemons, lemon juice, salt. Well, hell. I had two jars of THAT. More research unearthed a method – basically throw it all in a high powered blender and whirl it together with the addition of olive oil and a bit of paprika to brighten the color. I liked these additions – the olive oil made it nice and creamy and the paprika brightened the color. So that’s what I did. I had a vivid yellow, salty acidic lemon paste in no time in a form that would be much easier to use. 

The recipe I used as a guide recommend a nifty little trick I use with the last dregs of a mustard jar – add a few simple ingredients and turn those bits left in the blender into a delicious and ridiculously easy vinaigrette. Brilliant! By the way, make this paste and you’re 1000% going to do this. Just so you know.

Now then, just because I now had my preserved lemons in an easier form I wasn’t instantly bequeathed the knowledge on how to use it. So far I had a whole two ideas in my arsenal: a vinaigrette and a lamb tagine and I don’t really make that many tagines. Luckily the New York Shuk website had 34 incredible ideas (see here for the full list). Here are my favorites, several of which I’ve used my very own paste for, with excellent results:

• My favorite use? A simple vinaigrette. Add a spoonful instead of, or in additional to, the mustard in your basic vinaigrette recipe.
• Delicious tuna salad – mix up your tuna fish with harissa, lemon paste and a bit of mayo for a new take. 
• Think ceviche – add lemon paste to your impeccably fresh fish for a really lovely ceviche.
• Add a spoonful to your Bloody Mary or other cocktail that leans a bit savory.
• Add lemon paste to your favorite chicken or beef marinade in place of lemon or lime juice.
• Smear the paste on your roasted salmon before cooking or brush on fish and seafood before grilling.
• Make a compound butter for fish or steaks – cream together a stick of room temperature butter with a spoonful of lemon paste, use parchment paper to roll into a log and chill.
• Add a zesty note to your chicken soup by adding a touch of lemon paste when serving.  
• Instead of adding lemon juice to your hummus, add lemon paste.
• Mix it into yogurt for a bright and flavorful dip for vegetables; top with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of za’atar or dukkah
• Zip up a potato salad with a generous spoonful of lemon paste and maybe a bit of harissa for a Moroccan flair
• Make a preserved lemon aioli by stirring a spoonful into mayonnaise to taste
• Make Greek lemon potatoes by replacing the lemon and salt in the recipe with the preserved lemon paste.
• Season cooked vegetables with a mixture of olive oil, lemon paste, and minced garlic. This is particularly nice with green beans and fantastic with roasted fennel.
• Eating a lot of beans in quarantine? I am! Warm some minced garlic, harissa, olive oil, and lemon paste in a pan and toss with the beans. Garnish with chopped herbs and grated parmesan.

STRESS THERAPY BAKING FACTOR: OH SUNSHINE DAY! Numerous jars of preserved lemons have been lost within my pantry shelves over the years, only to end up in the trash. I’m thinking that a paste, all ready to go, in my fridge will get far more use and far more notice. I’m still not 1000% convinced I like the flavor of preserved lemons but everything I’ve used this paste in the last two weeks, I’ve been pretty happy with and have really enjoyed the brightness it’s brought to each recipe. I was surprised at how much I liked it in my bowl of chicken noodle soup so I’m giving it the benefit of the doubt and will continue to try different things. You should too – but keep in mind that it’s salty so plan accordingly.

How to make preserved lemons if you are interested

eleven years ago: Cucumber Kimchi

ten years ago: Sautéed Beet Greens, Chicken Pot Pie

nine years ago: Simple Apple Cake

eight years ago: Kale & Squash Salad

seven years ago: Pickled Green Cherry Tomatoes

six years ago: Sherry Candied Walnut Salad

five years ago: Thai Peanut Butter

four years ago: Ricotta Gnudi with Cherry Tomato Pesto Sauce

three years ago: Pickle Brined Spicy Chicken Sandwiches, Cherry Coke Sorbet

two years ago: French Apple Tart for a Crowd

last year: Classic Minestrone

PRESERVED LEMON PASTE – roughly based on this recipe

Makes about 1 ¼ cups

1 cup chopped preserved lemons, seeds removed

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 Tablespoon preserved lemon brine

½ cup olive oil

¼ teaspoon sweet paprika

For the preserved lemon vinaigrette:

Fresh lemon juice

Honey

ground black pepper

Olive oil

1. Roughly chopped the lemons, pulp and peel. Make sure the seeds are removed as they can add bitterness.
2. Place the chopped lemons into a high speed blender or food processor and add the water, brine and paprika.
3. Process for a minute or two until fairly smooth, stopping and stirring as needed to get everything going.
4. With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil
5. Transfer to a clean jar, top with a thin layer of olive oil to cover and refrigerate.
6. Now here’s what you need to do immediately: make a dressing with the leftover paste in the blender jar. Use this is kind of a loose guide as the amount left in your blender jar will vary widely so adjust as needed.
7. Add some fresh lemon juice, maybe 1-2 Tablespoons, enough to get everything moving.
8. Add a squirt of honey, 1-2 teaspoons if I had to guess, and a few grinds of pepper.
9. Turn the blender motor on, for a minute of so to combine then scrape down the blender jar, getting as much of the lemon paste bits as possible down toward the bottom.
10. With the motor running on low, drizzle in olive oil and process until emulsified, smooth and creamy, start with ¼ cup and see how it goes as you made need more. Taste and adjust if needed.
11. Transfer the vinaigrette to a clean jar and store in the fridge until needed. It will keep for about 4-5 days. Maybe more. If you like a creamy dressing, add a bit of plain yogurt or sour cream to the blender. Maybe stir in some poppyseeds. Or a finely diced shallot or a clove of garlic. Maybe some fresh herbs would be nice. 

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when life gives you peppers … Southwest Peperonata

I came home from the Labor Day weekend with a big bag full of peppers, a gift from a friend with a large and productive garden. I was thrilled – homegrown produce is always welcome – but I wasn’t sure what to do with them. Her husband suggested salsa but I’d just come off a similar project and wasn’t all that interested in making more. I’d already made a delightfully cheesy hatch chile queso dip, but that only used five of the hatch chiles. There we so many more in the bag. So I did what I always do when I’m not sure how to proceed: I googled. “What to make with a lot of peppers” yielded the expected results with recipes for peperonata dominating. No surprise as it is essentially a pepper dish but I was surprised at the lack of variety in the recipes. Italian in origin, peperonata contains slowly stewed sweet peppers, onions, garlic and sometimes tomato, and it is absolutely delicious. But my peppers were mainly Mexican/Southwest in origin – anaheim, poblano, hatch, jalapeno as well as a mess of hungarian yellow. An idea formed. Would a spicy version work? I wasn’t sure but a southwest style peperonata was now in the works.

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the very best thing to celebrate Hot and Spicy Food Day (really) … Chili Crisp

I’ve been reading up on “official food holidays”, days dedicated to a particular foodstuff put together by an interested trade organization or a public relations firm. For some reason, January is particularly heavy with these made up “holidays”, which is likely why I turn to them this month. They’ll full of kooky ideas. Last week I made tempura shrimp for “National Tempura Day”, because that’s a thing. Today is “Hot & Spicy Food Day”, because apparently that is also a thing. It also plays quite nicely into a new obsession of mine: Chili Crisp.

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thrifty genius …. Asian Flavored Pickled Watermelon Rind

I’ve been eating a lot of watermelon and sweet corn of late. A lot. It’s what we do in the Midwest when the corn is unbelievably good and the watermelons are huge and juicy and we need to eat as much as we can before they’re gone. While cutting up the latest watermelon to make yet another delicious Vietnamese inspired salad (have you tried it yet?), I looked guiltly at the growing pile of rind destined for the garbage can. Damn, watermelons have a lot of waste. This has always bothered me so I decided to try something. I’ve long been curious about Pickled Watermelon Rind. It is the product of thrifty genius, turning waste into something delicious. Why not give it a try? I probably had the ingredients on hand and I was definitely looking for a distraction to avoid work for another hour. What was there to lose? A pile of produce scraps that was going in the garbage anyway, some vinegar and spices and an hour of my time? Ever hear of procrasti-baking? This was procrasti-pickling. The conditions were ideal.

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recipe stalker … Peruvian Roast Chicken with Spicy Green Sauce

This recipe has been stalking me. True story. It first appeared in The New York Times in October of 2017 and has shown up in my social media feeds regularly ever since. Last summer it showed up in my feeds every single week for two months. Maybe it’s stalked you too. Every single time that bright green sauce caught my eye I thought, I’m going to make that one day. Well, that day is here. I needed something to bring to a holiday BBQ and thought, well here we go.

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pickle it … Yellow Pickled Cauliflower and Carrots

 

In my teens, I had a deep love for a particular type of pickled cauliflower. It was bright yellow, briny, a little spicy and I would eat it by the jarful. Sometimes it had carrots, sometimes it was just the cauliflower. Sometimes my mom would buy a jar of what was more like a chunky giardinara that contained the cauliflower and carrots but also pearl onions, celery and cherry peppers. I didn’t like that as much and would pick out and eat only the cauliflower and carrots, leaving the less desirable bits behind. This would really piss off my family. Oh well.

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bright and spicy … Yemen Schug (chili and herb sauce)

Not long ago, I was flipping through Zahav: A World of Israeli Cooking, Michael Solomonov’s excellent cookbook based on recipes from his Philadelphia restaurant of the same name. His hummus is legendary, rightly so, and the twice cooked eggplant is something to behold. I was fascinated with a recipe for a Yemenite condiment called schug. I have zero knowledge of Yemenite cuisine and the recipe sounded fantastic – green chilies and lots of fresh parsley and cilantro. Given that I had a lot of the ingredients on hand from my garden plot that needed a purpose, I decided to give it a shot.

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