Spice Club - October
A Proustian Moment is when a specific taste or scent reminds us of an experience from our past. The taste and smell of the spice Cardamom inevitably takes me back to Jerusalem. I was a college freshman traveling through Israel in 1997 with a group of folks.
James Beard-award-winning Israeli chef Michael Solomonov from the restaurant Zahav says, "Israeli cuisine is a combination of around 100 cultures that have either ended up in Israel or have been in Israel for the past thousand years.” This cultural exchange has resulted in a cuisine that integrates complex and delicious flavors from around the world. In hindsight, my visit to Israel lit the flame that would fuel my culinary journey.
Cardamom has a distinct aroma with piney and fruity notes and a menthol-like flavor. The spice is the seeds of a plant that is related to ginger and turmeric. The cardamom plant is native to South India; however, the majority of cardamom that we buy in the United States is grown in Guatemala. The spice is frequently used in food and beverages and fits in sweet and savory dishes. Cardamom was an essential part of the early spice trade and has the honor of being known as the “Queen of the Spices.”
Stop into the Churchill County Library to pick up a sample of ground green Cloud Forest Cardamom as our October feature in the new Spice Club.
Vanilla Cardamom Scones
INGREDIENTS:
2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
⅓ cup sugar
1 T baking powder
½ t baking soda
¾ t salt
1 t ground cardamom
½ cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces
1 cup buttermilk, cold
1 large egg, cold
1 T vanilla extract
1 T heavy cream
2 T coarse sugar
DIRECTIONS:
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cardamom together. Cut the butter into the flour using a pastry blender, 2 knives, or your fingertips. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs.
Whisk the buttermilk, egg, and vanilla together and gradually add it to the flour mixture. Stir just until the dough comes together. Add a little at a time until the mixture is moist but not too wet. Do not over-mix the dough, or the scones will be tough.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and gently knead the dough four or five times. Pat the dough into a seven-inch round circle. Cut the circle in half, then cut each half into four triangle-shaped wedges.
Arrange the scones two inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the scones in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Position the oven rack in the center of the oven and heat to 400°F.
Brush the tops of the scones with milk or cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve immediately.
Masala Chai
INGREDIENTS:
2 ¼ cups filtered water
1 3-inch cinnamon stick, Ceylon or cassia are both fine
3 whole cloves
4 green cardamom pods, cracked open and deseeded (I throw seeds & pods in)
3 black peppercorns
½ t fennel seeds
½ inch fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
3 black tea bags or 3 tsp loose-leaf black tea,
1 cup whole milk
4 t turbinado cane sugar or raw cane sugar
DIRECTIONS:
Heat a medium saucepan over high heat. Add water, cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom pods, black peppercorns, fennel seeds, and ginger. Bring to a boil and add the tea bags or leaves.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 7-10 minutes, depending on how strong you’d like the tea and spices. It will turn a deep burgundy color. Reduce slightly.
Add milk and sugar and stir. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, simmer for another five minutes.
When ready to serve, raise the heat to high and allow it to come to a rolling boil for one to two minutes.
Pour into cups through a strainer and add more sweetener, if desired
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