email this pageGive your foods a little something special with these ingredients that are worth their weight in gold.
1. Pesto Paste. Whisk into mayonnaise or butter, dollop in minestrone, toss with pasta or spread on pizza. A little of this concentrated mixture of basil, olive oil and garlic goes a long way.
2. Exotic Mushrooms. Light as a feather and packed with intense, earthy flavor, wild mushrooms elevate any dish they’re added to.
3. Parmigiano Reggiano. Made from milk from pampered cows in northern Italy and then aged for two years, Parmigiano Reggiano is crumbly and deliciously pungent. Pricey—but a little goes a long way. It also keeps for up to a year in the fridge.
4. Fleur de Sel. Hand-harvested off the coast of France, fleur de sel is the Cadillac of salt.
5. Vanilla Beans. Look for soft, plump beans; cut them down the center with a paring knife and scrape out the seeds. Use the pod and seeds to flavor everything from custards and ice cream to sauces. Then toss the (used or unused) pod into your sugar canister for fragrant vanilla sugar.
6. Prosciutto de Parma. Italian ham made in Parma, Italy, from the hind legs of specially bred Italian pigs, prosciutto di Parma, is hand-salted and air-cured.
7. Macadamia Nuts. These rich, buttery nuts have an unmistakable taste and add cachet to everything from cookies to rice pilaf.
8. Meyer Lemons. A cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange, Meyer lemons are in peak season from November through May. Grown in California (but originally from China), they’re more aromatic, less astringent and juicier than ordinary lemons.
9. Pure Maple Syrup. Made from the sap from maple trees, this natural syrup beats its artificial corn-syrup based cousin. When you consider it takes about 40 gallons of maple sap and plenty of hard work to make a gallon of syrup, it would be churlish to quibble about the price. It’s a must for pancakes and waffles.
10. Saffron. The world’s most expensive spice, saffron is made from the hand-picked yellow-orange stigmas from a small purple crocus. More than 14,000 stigmas are needed for each ounce of saffron. Use in bouillabaisse, risotto and paella.
Chocolate Macadamia Nut Bars
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Ingredients
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
½ cup cold butter, cut into pieces
1 cup chopped macadamia nuts, toasted
Caramel and Chocolate:
¾ cup butter (1 ½ sticks)
½ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1½ cups semisweet or bittersweet chocolate morsels
2. To prepare the crust, combine flour and sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Process about 10 seconds to combine thoroughly. Add butter and process until mixture is crumbly, about 30 seconds. Transfer crumbs to prepared pan and press firmly to make a compact layer. Scatter nuts evenly over crust and press them in firmly.
3. To prepare the caramel layer, melt butter in a heavy medium-size saucepan over low heat. Add brown sugar and stir well until thoroughly combined and smooth. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring constantly, until entire surface of caramel is bubbly. Immediately pour hot caramel over nuts and spread evenly with back of a metal spoon. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until caramel is bubbly.
4. Remove pan from oven. Wait 1 minute; sprinkle chocolate morsels evenly over caramel. Let stand 2 to 3 minutes for chocolate to melt. Spread chocolate evenly with spatula or back of a metal spoon. Cool completely, then refrigerate 30 minutes to set. Cut into bars with a sharp knife. Makes 36 bars.
Recipe by Greg Patent, "Relish America's Harvest," Sept. 2006.
Maple Vinaigrette
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Ingredients
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup mild vegetable oil, such as canola
2. With machine running, drizzle in oil, process until well blended. Store the dressing, refrigerated, in a glass bottle, and shake before using. Yield: 1 cup.
By Crescent Dragonwagon, "Relish America's Harvest," March 2006
Spinach Pesto
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Ingredients
1 cup packed basil leaves
½ cup toasted pine nuts
1 garlic clove
2⁄3 cup olive oil
2⁄3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2. With the machine running, add olive oil. Process until mixture is creamy. This may need to be done in batches.
3. Transfer to a glass bowl. Stir in cheese, salt and pepper. Makes 2½ cups.
Recipe by Christina Eng, Relish the Healthy Table, "The Power of Green," Jan. 2008.
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