Delicious Flavored Vinegar

Gourmet potatoes dressed with chive blossom vinegar.

Here at Five Feline Farm, we have started experimenting with infusing vinegar. We start with either white or apple cider vinegar, then add ingredients from our gardens to steep. We started with chive blossom and garlic scape infusions. The chive blossoms turned the vinegar a beautiful pink color. Garlic scapes keep the original color of the vinegar. But the flavors are phenomenal!

Now we are trying other fruits and herbs.

Small batch with farm-fresh flavors beats those fancy specialty oil and vinegar shops any day.

The next question is always, “How do you use these delicious vinegar infusions?”

The first obvious choice is on a salad.

Pile your favorite greens and salad toppings into a bowl. Drizzle a good quality, flavorful olive oil across the top. Then splash with an infused vinegar. Add some fresh cracked pepper and sea salt to taste.

This simple dressing allows the flavors of your salad ingredients to shine.

You can also make a quick vinaigrette dressing. Start with blending dijon mustard, salt, pepper, and infused vinegar in a bowl. Blend in olive oil with a whisk drop by drop, then in a thin stream to create an emulsion. You can adapt the proportions to taste.

But you do not have to limit yourself to only topping a traditional green salad. Here are some more ideas:

—Scrub new or small heirloom potatoes and cut them into bite-size cubes. Boil in salted water or steam until tender. While still warm, toss with olive oil, infused vinegar, and salt to taste. The potatoes will pick up the gentle underlying notes from the infused vinegar.

—Or slice colorful raw beets very thin. Use the same dressing ingredients plus some freshly ground pepper.

—Splash infused vinegar over grilled chicken breast.

—Make a pan sauce after roasting chicken or fish. After cooking, remove the meat from the pan and return the pan to medium-high heat. Deglaze the pan with infused vinegar, then add butter to thicken the sauce. Serve over the meat.

As you can tell, infused vinegar is delicious any time you need a bit of acidic tang to your meal.

Chive Blossoms

Chive blossoms are more than just a pretty decoration at the end of an oniony stalk. These delicate purple blooms are edible. Pick whole blossoms by pulling gently at the base of the flower to pop off the entire bloom. Give them a quick rinse and dry on a paper towel or drying rack. You can even use a salad spinner.

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After most of the bloom is dry (don’t worry about every drop of water evaporating), grasp the stem end in one hand and pluck out the tiny blossoms with the other. These individual blooms will pull out several at a time.

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My favorite way to use chive blossoms is stir into mashed potatoes just after mashing. The blooms add a faint chive flavor plus a splash of color.

Another option is to include a handful in each layer of au gratin potatoes. The color stands out against the creamy white sauce and golden yellow cheese.

Salads are an additional tasty place to use these blooms. Sprinkle a few across the top of a green lettuce salad for an unusual color addition.

This year, the blooms are abundant and I experimented with freezing the blooms for later use. After washing and drying, pull apart the blooms. Spread in a single layer on a parchment lined cookie sheet and freeze for several hours or overnight. Pack in crush proof containers or freezer bags. After a week in the freezer, I tested some by sprinkling over grilled cheesy potatoes. Just like fresh picked. I expect to use these throughout the winter.

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To make grilled potatoes:

Slice four to five medium potatoes onto a large sheet of heavy duty foil. Drizzle one tablespoon of olive oil over the potatoes. Salt and pepper to taste. Fold over the foil to seal tightly. Place over hot coals on charcoal grill turning occasionally for about 20 minutes. Remove from grill, open the packet and sprinkle with a half cup of shredded cheese and a handful of fresh or frozen chive blossoms. Close the packet for three to four minutes or until the cheese has melted.

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And try some chive blossoms….