Welcome to Summer!
This Friday marks the official start to summer, also known as the Summer Solstice. The day and night will be equal in length and although hot weather is just beginning, the days will start to get shorter until autumn arrives. It always seems such a paradox to me that summer, for which I have been so impatiently waiting, also brings with it the shortening of the days. So, no time to waste!
Here is the recipe for the Muhammara dip that we make and sell in the Deli grab n go. The batch size has been reduced quite a bit so feel free to add a little more or less of whatever you feel it needs to create the taste profile you are looking for. Remember there are as many versions of Muhammara as there are people that make it so don’t be afraid to experiment and create your very own version.
Sometimes my herbs get so prolific that I can barely keep up with them. I usually try to harvest all season long to encourage them to grow, and then I have to find a way to use all of it. I throw large amounts into soups and our daily menu, and drying is an easy to way to prolong their life, but one of my favorite things to do is make compound butters.
Salt is needed in small amounts in order to maintain optimum health, but it also has a few culinary tricks up its sleeve. Adding salt to water will raise the temperature at which it boils and lower the temperature at which it freezes. Eggs boiled in salty water are easier to peel. Adding a pinch of non iodized salt to cream or egg whites before beating them will increase height and add stability.
Salt’s impact on human civilization precedes recorded history, and has influenced human existence in cultural, economic and of course culinary realms. Once traded ounce for ounce for gold, and used to pay people (hence the word salary), it is now a very common part of our recipes and kitchens. In the Deli, we use sea salt exclusively, but at home I also use kosher and Alaea salt.
Mother’s Day is this week. I want to thank all of the mothers that bring their little ones into the Ashland Food Co-op.
This is a great way to celebrate May Day with children, and the results are beautiful and delicious. You will need some freshly picked violets, 1 egg white, fine granulated sugar, a sheet pan, a small paint brush that has never been used for paint and waxed paper. Lay out your violets on the pan so they are easy to grab once your hands get sticky.
If months have themes then April’s is Go Green. Green is literally everywhere you look. The plants are waking up and blooming, Earth Day promotes green eating, cleaning and living, and we want to see some Green in your mug as well. The Green Dream smoothie is on sale this week in our Juice & Java Bar.