Happy new food year!
Here we are y’all…2014. Can you believe it? As each year passes, it’s always hard to believe that yet another one has come and gone. Personally, my 2013 was a wonderfully yummy year, filled with many fabulous meals and experiences shared with friends and family. If there is one thing I am sure of as we retire 2013, it’s that Sonoma continues to be one of the most heavenly places to live and I am beyond thankful daily that I am able to call this community my home. Happy New Year to everyone! Let’s make 2014 a delicious one!
What I am drinking now: Citrus Pellegrino
With the hubbub of the holidays finally quieting down, livers across Wine Country are certainly quivering at the thought of one more glass of wine or alcohol-filled cocktail, boozy punch or rum-packed eggnog. Noses are sniffling and throats are sore, minds are a bit numb and bodies certainly achy. This is when I can’t bear to sip on anything besides a lemony hot tea or these beautiful, sparkling mineral waters doused with a fresh splash of citrus from the Italian makers at Pellegrino.
Each flavor has small, bracing bubbles that cleanse your mind and belly. The citrus juice tastes pure, just-squeezed, and not at all sweet. I adore the simple orange, the flavor almost identical to a mimosa, a festive afternoon treat sans booze. I assumed my favorite would be the blood orange, a drink a gorgeous sunset red, but as it happens, my most-loved is the grapefruit. The flavor is startling, tart and clean, almost sour. I make a big deal out of serving it; I only use a fancy glass tumbler and it must always be first filled to the top with crushed ice. Sipped slowly, as not to get hiccups, I don’t even miss Champagne. All right, maybe just a little.
When life gives you lemons: preserved lemons
Easily one of my favorite things to do with the mass quantities of Meyer lemons from friends’ trees this time of year is to quickly whip up a few jars of Moroccan preserved lemons. I can hear you all losing interest from here. I know that most people don’t know what to do with the slightly soft, super salty lemons. Trust me though, once you get the hang of using these bright, fresh lemon skins, you will end up putting them in everything, all year long.
There is nothing more to preserving a lemon than salt and juice. You squish a whole bunch of lemons, tightly packed, into a jar, fill with salt, lemon juice, and let them do their thing. After about a month, the lemon skin is soft and the flavor is pungent, salty, earthy. Yummy. I prefer to use Meyer lemons because of their pretty, flower-scented skins, but the common Eureka lemons work just fine. Diced up and tossed into grain and rice dishes — find my favorite farro recipe here — or slivered and added to roasted vegetables, preserved lemons turn something simple into something simply exotic. I love to quarter them and bake them into chicken dishes, mash them into a paste with butter and smear over sautéed fish or whisk into a citrusy vinaigrette. Preserved lemons add a beautiful lemony freshness to so many dishes and are such a treat months after winter when citrus season is a distant, fresh-squeezed memory.
I always make my preserved lemons in tall, vintage looking canning jars that I bought at Whole Foods. (You can find them near the produce section, under the nut butters.) They are as gorgeous as they are tasty and I love to have one of these oversized jars gracing my kitchen countertop, following the progress of the salt and the skins. I like to witness the daily softening of the lemons and how the juice fills the jar. There is just something homey and happy about a bright yellow jar of lemons to cheer up the kitchen on a wintery day.
A few tips on using preserved lemons: Always use organic or unsprayed lemons, since you’re going to be eating the rind. The lemons should be submerged in liquid once the salt dissolves. Always use pure sea or Kosher salt, never table salt. When using the lemons in a recipe, adjust the salt, since the lemons will add a nice hint of salinity.
Preserved Lemons
1. Scrub the lemons with a vegetable brush and dry them off.
2. Cut lemons in half if smaller, or in quarters if using larger lemons.
3. Pack the clean jars with layers of the salt and then the lemons, pressing the lemons down between the layers of salt.
4. Once you have filled the jar, press the lemons very firmly in the jar to get the juices flowing. Cover and let stand overnight.
5. Several times a day, turn the jars over, encouraging them to release more juice as they start to soften. Repeat for a 2-3 days until the lemons are completely covered with liquid. If your lemons aren’t too juicy, add more freshly squeezed lemon juice until they are submerged.
6. Lemons are ready after thirty days or so. Store the lemons in the refrigerator, where they’ll keep for a year or more.
To use: Remove lemons from the liquid using a clean fork, rinse well, and pat dry. Scrape out the pulp and discard. Slice the lemon peels into thin strips or cut into small dices.
Farro with zucchini and preserved lemons
Farro is an ancient Italian grain, which has a nutty, tender texture and is delicious when mixed with all sorts of sauteed vegetables, herbs, mushrooms, and cheeses. I make large batches to keep in my fridge to toss into soups, salads, or to fold into roasted vegetables.
Serves 4.
2 cups cooked farro
2 medium zucchini, diced and quickly sauteed in a bit of olive oil
1 whole preserved lemon, rinsed, insides removed, skin sliced into long strips
2 T. toasted, chopped walnuts
4 T. good quality olive oil
2 T. chopped, fresh Italian parsley leaves (or other soft herb, such as dill or chives)
Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Parmesan cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler
Mix all ingredients together and allow to sit at room temperature for one hour. Serve as a side dish or add pulled chicken to make a main course salad.
