The
salad season is commencing a bit early in our part of S. California. The warm dry weather has strongly influenced
local gardens. If you’ve supplied a
little irrigation, you may have native greens that are ready to eat (or nearly
so). That means it’s time to think about
greens: raw, sautéed, steamed and baked. If you didn’t catch our earlier postings on
native greens you might want to visit them:
One
of the best uses for the milder greens like Miner’s lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata) and the native
clovers is for salads. They add unique
flavors and textures; they can be used alone or combined with other
greens, lettuce, etc. And of course, native greens are even more fabulous when
dressed with a simple oil & vinegar dressing made with flavored
vinegars.
Flavored
vinegars or infused vinegars are
simply vinegars that have been infused with the flavor(s) of herbs, spices,
nuts or fruits. These vinegars are
becoming more popular – in fact, some are now available in local grocery
stores. They are wonderful for salad
dressings, marinades, sauces and in the traditional recipes of many
cultures. You can use the flavored
vinegars for any recipe that calls for vinegar, remembering that the flavor
should complement the dish.
Our
native seasoning herbs also yield wonderful flavored vinegars. Native plant- infused vinegars are easy to make;
and they feature our unique California flavors in new and creative ways. They
are a fun introduction to using native plants and make unique gifts for foodie
friends. A few words of caution: 1) use only garden-
collected materials; 2) be sure to identify the plant correctly (one of the
advantages of growing the plants in your own garden); 3) know what plant
part(s) can be used safely; 4) do not use plants that have been sprayed with
pesticides. As always, use moderation
when trying any new food. For a
complete list of native plants that can be used for flavored vinegars see: http://www.slideshare.net/cvadheim/flavored-vinegars
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| Black sage (Salvia mellifera) - a popular native seasoning herb |
The
easiest flavored vinegars are made from fresh/dried leaf seasoning herbs. While many people use Mediterranean herbs (rosemary;
thyme; etc.) our native Salvias
(Sages), California sagebrush (Artemisia
californica), Wild tarragon (Artemisia
dracunculus) and other plants in the Mint family (Lepechinia fragrans; Mentha
arvensis; Salvia spathacea) make wonderful infusion herbs. They can be used separately, in combination
or with the more common kitchen herbs.
Combining flavors takes a bit of experience, so we suggest you begin
with a single ‘flavor’. But there’s lots
of room for creative exploration if you’re so inclined!
Infused
vinegars combine the flavors of the infusion herbs with the flavor of the
vinegar itself. A mild or delicate flavoring
herb will be overwhelmed by a robust vinegar like a balsamic, sherry or red
wine vinegar. The flavors of mild herbs work best with the milder vinegars:
champagne, white wine and white Japanese
rice vinegars. Bolder infusion herbs –
including native Salvias and California sagebrush - combine well with the
bolder vinegars and even with plain old distilled white vinegar. You can
download a table with a description of common types of vinegars at: http://www.slideshare.net/cvadheim/types-of-vinegars-for-making-flavored-vinegars
Below is a
simple recipe for cold-infused herb vinegar.
You can download this and other flavored vinegar recipes at: http://www.slideshare.net/cvadheim/flavored-vinegar-recipes-leaf-spices
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Herb-infused
vinegar – cold vinegar method
|
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1 to 1 ¼ cup vinegar
1 to 3 sprigs of fresh herbs (3-inch sprigs) or 2 to 4 sprigs dried
herbs or ½ cup chopped fresh herbs
Wash jar in dishwasher or sterilize in boiling water for 10 minutes. Invert jar on paper towel and let
completely dry. Wash fresh herbs and
pat dry. Measure vinegar and pour into
sterilized jar. Lightly crush or cut
herb sprigs and add to jar. Be sure
that herbs are completely covered by the vinegar – if needed, add more
vinegar. If your jar has a metal lid,
place a double layer of plastic wrap over the jar opening. Screw on the lid/cap the jar. Place in an area out of direct sun and let
the flavors develop at room temperature.
Check daily until flavors are sufficiently strong (often 1-3 days for
fresh herbs – up to a week or two for dried herbs). You can shake the jar to
distribute the flavors better. Once
the flavors suit your taste remove the herbs.
Strain the vinegar through a jelly/juicing bag or a strainer lined
with a coffee filter. Re-bottle in a
sterile bottle and store in a cool dark place at room temperature (about 1-2
month) or in the refrigerator (2-4 months).
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We hope you’ve
been inspired to try making a batch of flavored vinegar. We’ll talk about making fruit-infused
vinegars in summer, when our fruits are ripe.
For more on vinegars and flavored vinegar making we suggest viewing our
slide show: http://www.slideshare.net/cvadheim/making-seasoned-vinegars-2011
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We encourage you to send us your questions, comments and recipes
(either comment below or e-mail to us at : mothernaturesbackyard10@gmail.com
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