#pickle-jars

#pickle-jars

"We've spent the last six years building a farm and homestead from scratch here, which has become home to a restaurant, guesthouse, and brewery, chickens, ducks, two donkeys, and a small flock of dairy sheep."

Celeriac has been the ruiner of many a soup that I have been fed, overshadowing the taste of the other ingredients and dominating the flavour profile.

Meat is cured when it's introduced to sodium nitrite or nitrate. There are natural and artificial versions of this. Artificially cured meats are manufactured in a lab, where nitrite is added in precise amounts to prevent nasty bacteria like botulism from forming, as well as preserving the color and flavor.

Potato sprouts contain compounds (specifically glycoalkaloids like solanine and chaconine), which stick in the potatoes' skin and become toxic in the body when consumed in large quantities, leading to an upset stomach or indigestion. However, it's worth noting that potatoes already contain glycoalkaloids - the compound is just more concentrated in the sprouts.

"The solution to everything was just add butter. It was the moment when I realized so much of the magic that occurs in pastry, but also in sauces, emulsification, creating that silky texture of a classic French sauce, it's all because of butter."

The word ketchup was first documented centuries ago, but it was advertised as more of an ingredient than a condiment, and the primary components were anything but tomatoes.

Moisture is your best bet for keeping green garlic fresh and crisp long enough to elevate your dishes throughout the week. Just wrap it in a damp paper towel before placing it in a plastic bag for fridge storage (the crisper drawer should work). These steps should last it for about five to seven days.

Inspired by Auguste Escoffier's exceptionally simple tartare, I've given his recipe a zero-waste twist by using whole boiled eggs and swapping in pickle brine from a jar of gherkins or capers to replace the vinegar. Everything else is optional: tarragon, mustard, cayenne add what you like or have in store. Traditionally, tartare sauce is delicious with fish and chips, calamari or in a chicken sandwich, but I also like it tossed through potato salad with tinned sardines and radicchio.

Freezing seafood seems like it should be a two-step process: open freezer, put fish in, but it's deceptively unforgiving. Fish and shellfish are mostly water (just like us!), with delicate muscle fibers and comparatively low connective tissue, which means small mistakes in freezing technique have noticeable quality consequences once thawed. Unlike red meat, which has a dense structure and intramuscular fat to buffer damage, seafood can't hide any missteps,

Lentils are an inexpensive source of protein, and they can take on many flavor profiles easily and without much effort. The tiny legumes are great in salads, but they really come alive when simmered with alliums, vegetables, spices, and a flavorful broth. Lentil soups and stews can be simple or extravagant, depending on how you garnish the soup, but they always make for a hearty, satisfying meal.