Down Thyme
During some down time at our stations this morning, we reorganized and cleaned the long shelf above the workstations within the Cafe. Glass jars of varying sizes containing an array of salt, peppers, herbs, spices, superfoods, grains, legumes, and sea vegetables were taken down and spread across the Chef Station to be consolidated from duplicates, labeled, then reshelved by type. For those that had no identifying marker, it was a fun challenge to name its contents.
Would you be able to smell the difference between ground coriander and ground cumin or maca and mesquite? What about arame and hijiki, can you easily distinguish between the two?
When using dried herbs and spices for your prepared dishes, a little goes a long way. For the best quality, select organic and non-irradiated, and remember to store them in air-tight glass bottles or jars and in small quantities as over time, they lose their potency.
This afternoon, we had guest speaker Bruce Edwards, Urban Harvest Director of the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma drop by to talk to us about his urban agricultural program and its mission to make fresh fruits and vegetables readily available to hungry Oklahomans.
