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Tuesday, June 29, 2021
The Observer & Baker City Herald
condiment
creativity
Make your own garnishes for
summer cookouts
By JEANMARIE BROWNSON
The Daily Meal
E
arly summer proves the
perfect time to cook a
batch of homemade tomato
ketchup, whirl up fresh mayon-
naise and enhance everything
with fresh herbs.
This summer, I am custom-
izing my condiment selection to
keep the weekly burgers (meat,
poultry and veg variations) inter-
esting. These jars of goodness
also will be useful in salads made
from grilled chicken or hard-
boiled eggs destined for backyard
picnics or lakefront lunches.
I’ve never been a big fan of
will help with food safety issues.
Season the lemony mayo with
fresh herbs, anchovy or capers.
Or use lime rind and lime juice
for a version that’s excellent as a
dunking sauce for cooked shrimp.
Why buy flavored mustards
when you can turn an inexpensive
Dijon into something extraordi-
nary? Add Kalamata olive puree
and other goodies for a spread
you will love straight from the jar.
Use it for a unique spin on grilled
cheese sandwiches or as a smear
for grilled fish or chicken breast.
I’ve worked and traveled fre-
quently in Mexico for more than
two decades. Hands-down, my
Eberly Film Labs-The Daily Meal/TNS
Summer mustard with all the goodies.
commercial ketchup, which
is why I enjoy whipping up a
smoky version made with bacon
and smoked paprika. Ripe,
plum tomatoes cook down into
a sweet tenderness, and a whirl
in the blender renders them into
a smooth sauce. You’ll need to
allow some cooking time on a
cool day. The ketchup will last
several weeks and works wonder-
fully on sliced brisket and smoked
turkey.
I love seasoned mayonnaise
spread on BLT sandwiches,
smeared over fish before broiling
and stirred into main-course
salads such as chicken and tuna
salad. Here, pasteurized eggs
favorite condiment might be Vera-
cruz’s salsa macha — a chile,
garlic and nut combination based
in oil. Keep a jar on hand to ladle
onto just about everything, from
the morning’s fried eggs to an
afternoon hummus snack to the
evening’s grilled steak entrée. The
possibilities for this salsa are end-
less. It also works on grilled egg-
plant, fish, chicken, steamed veg-
etables, cooked grains and small
pastas. For a revelation, you can
also try it on sliced tomatoes with
a splash of lime or balsamic.
A note of caution with all con-
diments: Be careful not to dou-
ble-dip serving spoons. Use a
clean spoon each time.
Eberly Film Labs-The Daily Meal/TNS
Fresh tomato and bacon ketchup.
FRESH TOMATO
AND BACON
KETCHUP
Stir this into sautéed spinach and serve
topped with a soft-boiled or fried egg for
a savory breakfast bowl.
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 50 minutes
Makes: About 2 3/4 cups
2 thick-cut slices smoky bacon,
finely diced (2.5 ounces)
2-3 large shallots, finely diced (4 ounces)
4 large cloves garlic, minced or crushed
1/2 cup dry red wine
5-6 large ripe plum tomatoes,
trimmed, diced (1 1/2 pounds)
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1-2 tablespoons agave
syrup or corn syrup
2 teaspoons tamari or reduced-
sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground
black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground mace or allspice
1. Cook 2 thick-cut slices of smoky
bacon in a large saucepan over medium
heat until bacon is crisp, about 8 min-
utes. Add 4 ounces diced shallots. Cook
and stir until shallots are tender, about
5 minutes. Stir in 4 cloves minced garlic
and cook for 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup dry
red wine and boil to reduce to a glaze.
2. Stir in 1 1/2 pounds trimmed and
diced plum tomatoes; cook and stir until
softened, about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in remaining ingredients. Heat
to a boil; reduce heat to very low. Sim-
mer, stirring often, until thick, about 20
minutes. Let cool.
4. Process mixture in blender (cover
blender top with a towel to prevent
splatters) until pureed smooth.
5. Return to the saucepan. Heat to a
simmer and cook, stirring constantly
until thick enough to coat the back of
a spoon, about 10 minutes. Taste and
adjust seasonings if desired with salt
and pepper.
6. Pack mixture into covered con-
tainers. This will keep in the fridge for a
couple of weeks.
machine with on/off turns to incorporate
ingredients. Taste and adjust seasonings.
4. Store in a covered jar in the refriger-
ator for up to 1 week.
SUMMER
LEMONY
MUSTARD WITH
MAYONNAISE
ALL THE GOODIES
WITH VARIATIONS Prep time: 10 minutes
Prep time: 10 minutes
Makes: About 3/4 cup
Note: For food safety, use pasteurized
eggs for this mayonnaise.
Alternatively, you can treat the
eggs as follows: Heat a small saucepan
containing several inches of water to
simmer. Add 2 (room temperature) eggs
in the shell to the water. Cook exactly 1
minute (set a timer). Remove eggs with
a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice water to
cool. Crack eggs and separate out the
yolks for this recipe.
2 large egg yolks from
pasteurized eggs; see note
Finely grated rind of 1 small lemon
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup safflower oil
Flavor additions (choose 1 or 2):
1 anchovy fillet packed in oil;
1 or 2 tablespoons drained
capers; grated rind of 1 lime; 2
tablespoons chopped fresh herbs
(tarragon, chive, cilantro, dill)
1. Put 2 egg yolks, grated lemon
rind, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1/2
teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon dry mus-
tard powder and 1/4 teaspoon garlic
powder into a blender or small food
processor. Process to mix well, scraping
sides as needed.
2. With the machine running, very
slowly drizzle in 1/3 cup each extra
virgin olive oil and safflower oil until
mixture is smooth and light.
3. Add any flavor additions. Pulse the
Makes: About 3/4 cup
1/2 cup inexpensive Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons pureed pitted Kalamata
olives or tapenade spread
1-2 tablespoons thinly sliced
chives or green onion tops
1-1 1/2 tablespoons drained capers or
finely chopped cornichon pickles
1 tablespoon finely chopped
pickled hot peppers, such as
jalapenos, Calabrian peppers
2 teaspoons pickle or olive juice
1. Mix all ingredients in a small bowl.
Taste and adjust seasonings.
2. Store in a covered jar for several
weeks.
PEANUTTY SALSA
MACHA
I like to use a variety of dried chiles in this
versatile, condiment-style salsa/sauce.
Shop for dried chiles in supermarkets
with a large Mexican food selection. To
assess freshness, press the chiles — they
should be soft and pliable, not brittle.
Prep time: 30 minutes, plus 45 minute
cooling time
Cook time: 55 minutes
Makes: About 3 cups
2-3 ounces dried chile pods, such
as ancho, guajillo, pasilla or New
Mexico (or use a combination)
2 cups extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup chopped dry roasted peanuts
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1-2 tablespoons sesame seeds
See, Condiments/Page B2
Indulge in the sweetest season
Making the most
of this year’s
strawberry crop
By KATE KRADER and
JAMES TARMY
Bloomberg News
Last Friday, Earl Bunting wel-
comed visitors to his Limington,
Maine, orchard for “pick your
own” strawberry season.
“We opened at 7 a.m.,” says
Bunting, “and when we opened,
our parking lot was full.”
Wherever you live, if you have
access to fresh strawberries, it’s
time to indulge. Exquisite, suc-
culent, flavorful berries are avail-
able only a few weeks a year, after
all. But what to do once you’ve
acquired as many quarts as you
can?
“The first thing that’s
important: Strawberries are more
delicate than they look,” says Peter
Hoffman, whose former restau-
rant Savoy in SoHo had a notable
Greenmarket focus. His recent
book, “What’s Good: A Memoir
in Fourteen Ingredients,” dedi-
cates a chapter to the fruit.
One tip is to take them out of
the container unwashed and then
put them in a plastic container.
That’s because, he says, “water
starts to accelerate the deteriora-
tion.” Wash them only when you
need them, so “you can concen-
trate the flavor.”
Hoffman says strawberries can
last five days from when they’ve
been picked. For those with the
(fortunate) burden of too many
strawberries and not enough time,
we’ve sourced four recipes —
savory, sweet, in a drink, and one
for storage — that should use up a
significant chunk of your harvest.
STRAWBERRY
SOFRITO
(SAVORY)
The following recipe for sofrito, an aro-
matic staple of Latin American cooking,
is adapted from chef Jeremy Fox of
Rustic Canyon in Los Angeles. It’s a good
accompaniment to grilled fish or chick-
en, or when served with cheese.
Makes about 4 cups
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cups finely chopped white onion
1 cup pine nuts, untoasted
Sea salt
2 cups finely chopped fennel
2 pounds strawberries, mashed with your
hands or a potato masher — about
three heaping cups, once mashed
In a medium saucepan, combine the
oil, onion, pine nuts, and several pinches
of salt and cook over low heat for one
hour. Add the fennel and cook for one
more hour. Add the mashed strawber-
ries and continue cooking for roughly
a third hour until all the ingredients are
caramelized and jammy. Season with salt
and serve.
STRAWBERRY
SHORTCAKE
(SWEET)
The following recipe for the classic
strawberry dessert is adapted from Food
& Wine Magazine.
Serves 6
DuPlaga Farm in Burbank, Ohio, charges $3 per quart to pick your own strawberries
and $4 to grab and go at the stand out front.
1 quart strawberries, hulled
and halved or quartered
1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup superfine sugar
1 3/4 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cold unsalted
butter, cut into small pieces
2 cups cold heavy cream
Preheat the oven to 425F. Butter an
8-inch cake pan. In a bowl, toss the
strawberries with the 1/3 cup sugar.
Let stand for 30 to 60 minutes. If the
berries are firm, crush lightly with a
fork.
Sift the flour, baking powder, and
salt into a bowl. Using your fingers or a
table knife, rub the butter into the flour
Phil Masturzo/Akron Beacon Journal/TNS
mixture until thoroughly incorporated.
Stir in 2 tbsp of the sugar. Pour over 2/3
cup of the heavy cream and stir just
until incorporated. Pat the dough into
a ball and flatten into a disk. Set in the
prepared cake pan, patting it in evenly.
See, Strawberries/Page B2