So Much Pleasure – So Little Effort.
Just in case any of you are wondering what to do with the last of the herbs in your summer garden, I thought I’d share what I did with some of mine. I had plenty of lemon verbena, so that’s where I began.
I bought a nice big bottle of good white wine vinegar, poured it into a big jar and added a hefty amount of lemon verbena cuttings. I put on the lid and let it sit in a cool dark spot for a couple of weeks. The exact amounts aren’t important here. Use what you’ve got. No specific recipe is needed.
When I pulled it out and tasted it I was thrilled. It was a really beautifully flavored lemon and herbal vinegar. After straining out the herbs, I got to thinking. While I loved this vinegar all on its own, I also thought it would make a great base for other flavors.
Seeing as how I still had a lot of mojo mint growing in my garden, I divided the lemon vinegar into three containers, and added a bunch of mint to one jar. Again, I put it in a cool dark place and let it sit for a couple weeks before straining out the herbs and tasting it. Yowza. Talk about fantastic. Lemon mint vinegar is so damned delicious.
I then decided to add Thai chilies to one of the bottles. It didn’t take hardly any time for this one to become hot and spicy. I’ve always been a sucker for pepper vinegar and simply figured that the lemony flavor would be a good match for the heat of the chilies.
I placed a small sprig of the appropriate herb in each of the other 2 bottles and now I’ve got 3 different vinegars that I’m thoroughly enjoying. Besides vinaigrettes, I’ve used the lemon version on cold shrimp salad. The mint version is particularly good when stirred into a little melted butter and spooned on top of lamb chops. I’ve sprinkled the chili vinegar on cooked greens and veggies, and added it to a dumpling dipping sauce.
I love all sorts of vinegars, as everyone knows who’s followed my cooking. I find many recipes are greatly enhanced with a splash of good vinegar. A lack of acid is one of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to food. A meal that lacks acid is boring and dull. And many times, all that’s needed is a small amount of vinegar.
For instance, take something as ubiquitous as frozen peas. Season them simply and then add a couple drops of a good vinegar. That little bit of acid will make those peas taste so much better. The same goes for many vegetables, not to mention tomato sauces, stews, soups, pan sauces for chicken, steak, etc.
It’s impossible to even think about all the ways I use vinegars in my cooking. I reach for them constantly. But there’s something particularly rewarding about flavoring a few of your own. It just tastes even better because it came from your own garden. But then again, if you’re not able to grow your own, go ahead and pick up a pack or 2 of fresh herbs at the market and flavor up a batch of vinegar. You’ll see what I mean. It really does taste better because you did it yourself.