Notes from the Vinegar Herbal Adventure Part One

So there were TWO pages missing from the handout. At least that I have figured out so far. Here are the recipes that were missing. More updates to come!

Balsamic Baby Carrots

3 cups water
1 lb baby carrots
2 large shallots
1 medium red pepper, diced
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 T sugar
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
2 T chopped fresh Italian (flat-leafed) parsley

Bring the water to a boil and add carrots.  Return to a boil and cook 4 minutes.  Drain.

Sauté shallots and red pepper in the olive oil over medium high heat for 3 minutes or less.  Stir in the carrots, vinegar, and next 3 ingredients and cook 4 minutes.

Minted Carrots

1 lb baby carrots

1 ½ cups water

½ cup unsweetened mint vinegar

½ tsp fresh thyme, minced

1 T fresh spearmint, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

Peel carrots, if necessary, and place in a non reactive saucepan. Add water, vinegar, mint and thyme and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and cook 10 minutes, or until carrots are tender. Season with salt and pepper and serve warm or chilled.

Sauerbraten

Thin cut center pork free of bone and fat
1 package brown gravy mix
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dried onion
1 teaspoon Worcestershire
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
dash garlic salt

Brown meat. Remove and make gravy with drippings of meat and 2 cups of water. Let thicken.

Add remaining ingredients to thicken gravy. Return meat to pan and simmer for 30 minutes. Serve with rice or mashed potatoes.

Oven or Grilled Roasted Mushrooms with Garlic, Thyme, and Balsamic Vinegar

1 lb. mushrooms
2 T + 1 tsp. olive oil
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 T finely minced garlic
1 T balsamic vinegar
2 T finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 T chopped fresh parsley (optional, for garnish)
Preheat oven to 400F or heat gas or charcoal grill to medium high. Wash mushrooms, pull out stems, and cut into halves (or quarters if the mushrooms are large.) Put mushrooms into bowl and toss with 2 T olive oil, salt, and fresh ground black pepper. Cover a roasting pan with foil, and then arrange mushrooms on the pan in a single layer. (Spread them out as much as you can. For cooking on a grill, use heavy foil to make a "pan" so the flame doesn't turn the bottom of the roasting pan black.)
Roast mushrooms 15 minutes. While mushrooms cook, finely chop fresh thyme and mix with minced garlic, balsamic vinegar, and the tsp. of olive oil.

After 15 minutes, drain off any liquid that has accumulated. Then toss the hot mushrooms with the garlic-thyme mixture. Arrange back on roasting pan and cook about 10 minutes more. Serve hot, sprinkled with chopped fresh parsley if desired.

Vinegar Pie

One 9-inch pie shell, unbaked

4 large eggs

¾ cup sugar

¼ cup honey

¼ cup flavored vinegar

3 T unbleached, all-purpose flour

6 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line chilled pie shell with parchment, then put in pie weights or dry beans. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the weights and parchment. Return shell to oven and reduce heat to 350 degrees. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, just until golden. Remove from heat and let cool.

In a bowl, beat the eggs until smooth and lemon yellow. Add the sugar, honey, flour and vinegar and beat well. Pour into baked shell. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until filling is set. Let cool before serving. Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream, or if using fruit flavored vinegar, with sliced fresh fruit, lightly sweetened.