KITCHEN BASICS – Herb Infused Vinegars

 

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 I’ve been growing herbs for years and have been collecting recipes using them for longer than that.  I always seem to have a larger crop than I ever intended to have, so I am always on a quest for ways to use them.  It is not in my nature to let them just wither away. 

One of the best ways to use them, of course, is in daily cooking.  Replacing salt and fat with flavorful herbs is a much healthier way to eat.  Hubby knows that if he wants added salt to his plate that he will just have to go get it from the kitchen counter himself:)  He would salt his salt if it was totally left up to him.  Leaving it off of the table is my way of gently nudging him to use less and less. 

I often use flavored vinegars when I am cooking and in salad preparations.  While I have made my own vinegar in the past, I haven’t done so in quite awhile.  Since there are only two of us at home now, I find that it is less expensive for me to purchase my vinegar bases and just work from there.  If you hanker to make your own, I suggest that you start with this guide from Food and Wine:  Making Red Wine Vinegar.  It’s easy to make and the taste is incredible.  I’ll be making this recipe  when I return home Saturday using a commercial red wine vinegar:   Chicken in Red Wine Vinegar.  I’ve make it on several occasions and can vouch for the ease of preparation and flavor.

Generally, I just make flavored vinegars like the tarragon vinegar  pictured above.  You can use white wine vinegar, basic white vinegar, red wine vinegar or even rice wine vinegar to do so.   If you want to go more “gourmet,” give champagne vinegar a try. 

Basic Tarragon Vinegar (with variations)
Makes 2 1/4 cups
(pictured above)

1 cup tarragon, leaves and slim stems, lightly crushed in your hands
1 clove garlic, halved
2 cups white wine vinegar
tarragon sprigs

Put the tarragon and garlic in a clean glass pint jar.   Pour the vinegar into the jar, make sure that the tarragon is completely covered.  Cover the top of the jar with plastic wrap, seal tightly with the lid and set aside in a cool, dark place to infuse for about two weeks.  Strain, discarding the solids, then pour the vinegar into small, clean glass bottles.  Insert a fresh sprig of tarragon, making sue the vinegar covers the spring.  Seal the bottle with a cork or other nonmetallic cap.  Store in a cool spot, away from sunlight.  When using more assertive herbs, such as rosemary, thyme or oregano, you should substitute red wine vinegar for the white wine vinegar.

Variations:
Raspberry-Thyme Vinegar:  To make a raspberry-thyme vinegar, replace the tarragon and garlic with 1/2 cup raspberries and 6-7 sprigs of thyme.  After two weeks, strain and rebottle.  Add 3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme and 6-8 raspberries to each bottle before sealing.  (You can do the same thing with blackberries.)  Both of these make great vinaigrettes.  

• Blackberry Vinaigrette
  
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 6 tablespoon blackberry vinegar
  • 2 tablespoon blackberry jam
  • 1 cup extra virgin olive oil

  Puree garlic with salt; whisk in vinegar, mustard, and jam. Whisk in oil slowly until all ingredients are held in suspension. Refrigerate. Easy to make in  mini processor.

Vinegar Provencal:  To make a vinegar Provencal, replace the tarragon with 6 sprigs of rosemary, 6 sprigs of thyme, 1 bay leaf and 2 lightly crushed garlic cloves.  Replace the white wine vinegar with red wine vinegar.  Try this as part of a vinaigrette for cold beef or lamb salad.  It can also be used in a marinade for lamb, pork or beef.

The July 2009 issue of Southern Living has a simple article on herb-infused vinegars along with some helpful hints about making them.  I also can recommend these web sites: Guidelines for Making Vinegars, Making Homemade Vinegar, and Making Homemade Vinegars.  I’m sure that there are scads of others.   If you know of any great ones or have some unique vinegar ideas, please share them in your comments. 

I’m out of town this week attending Advanced Placement Summer Institute, so I won’t be planning a weekly menu.  I will be sharing this idea, however, at  Menu Plan Monday.  Since I will be staying at Perfect Daughter’s house, I expect to do MUCH playing with the Perfect Little Ones.  Perhaps I’ll even share in the cooking duties. 

Monday:  Perfect Daughter is on call so I will be grilling pork tenderloin and chicken with grilled fresh garden veggies and spinach salad with blackberry vinaigrette made from the recipe above.
Tuesday:  Perfect Boy and I have a date with a putt-putt course and a corndog with fries:)  Hopefully, I can make an early morning run to the Farmer’s Market. 
Wednesday through Thursday:  TBA
Friday:  Perfect Boy and I will head back to Nana’s house where he will reign over the territory for the next week.  Tonight will probably be a stop on the way there to meet OoHoo at one of our favorites, The Purple Cow, so PB can fill up on hamburger, fries and purple ice cream!

Tasty Tuesday

Tickle My Tummy Tuesdays

 

Foodie Friday and

Friday Feasts

where lots of good things await!

  Are you making plans to join in the fun at Crock Pot Wednesdays?  Check out the guidelines that were posted on Thursday, July 23.  Keep watching this week for additional information.  I’m anxious to see what you have to share.