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Salt Table Leek, Chive, & Onion Dip and Seasoning Blend
Potted cheese, a blend of grated cheese, butter, whiskey, is an old way of keeping cheese in the house in the days before refrigeration. Modern recipes often call for chives and/or minced green onions, which do add flavor but shorten the shelf life. Salt Table’s Leek, Chive, and Onion Dip and Seasoning Blend lends the same fresh flavor without adding an element that will spoil quickly, which means it will keep for weeks, well-covered in the refrigerator.Ingred
Makes about 2 cups
Ingredients:
8 ounces (½ pound) well-aged cheddar such as Kerrygold Reserve Irish cheddar or Cabot Seriously Sharp cheddar, grated
1 tablespoon (or more, to taste) Salt Table Leek, Chive, & Onion Seasoning and Dip Blend
Crackers or melba toast rounds, for serving
How to make it:
Combine the cheese, butter, and mustard in bowl of food processor and process until smooth. Or combine in mixing bowl and whip with electric mixer at medium-high speed until smooth.
Whip in the whiskey a tablespoon at a time. Then season well with Leek, Chive, and Onion Blend. Transfer it to crock, cover, and let sit at least 1 hour.
Taste and adjust the Seasoning Blend and let sit at least 30 minutes to allow the seasoning to meld. If not serving within another hour, cover and refrigerate until needed. Let warm to room temperature at least 30 minutes before serving as a spread with crackers or toast rounds.
Adapted from Damon Lee Fowler’s cookbook Essentials of Southern Cooking, these are perfect for tailgate parties. Kissing cousin to that old Southern favorite, those bite-sized pecan pie tartlets known as tassies, these get a nice lift from the Salt Table’s Cinnamon Sugar and since they don’t have to be shaped into individual tartlets are a snap to make.
Makes 2 dozen
Ingredients:
2 cups whole pecan halves
10 ounces (about 2 cups) Southern soft wheat or all-purpose flour, plus 1 tablespoon
2 tablespoons extra-fine white cornmeal
1 cup sugar
Salt
10 ounces (1¼ cups or 2½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3 large eggs
1/3 cup (tightly packed) light brown sugar
2 tablespoons Salt Table Cinnamon Sugar
2 tablespoons bourbon
How to make it:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375° F. Spread pecans on baking sheet and toast in center of oven until beginning to color, about 8 minutes. Let cool and roughly chop. Reduce oven temperature to 350° F.
Sift together 2 cups flour, cornmeal, ½ cup sugar and small pinch salt. Add 8 ounces (1 cup, or 2 sticks) butter and work into flour until smooth. You may do first part of this step in food processor fitted with steel blade. Put in flour, meal, sugar, and salt and pulse several times to sift. Add butter and process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Turn out into mixing bowl and finish blending by hand. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
Press the dough into a 9-by-13-inch pan in a uniform layer over the bottom and about ½-inch up the sides. Lightly prick it with fork and bake in center of oven 20 minutes, or lightly browned, then remove and let cool slightly.
Melt the remaining butter, let cool slightly, and beat it together with the eggs, remaining ½ cup sugar, brown sugar, Salt TableCinnamon Sugar, and a small pinch salt. Stir in the bourbon and pecans. Sift in remaining tablespoon of flour and stir until smooth. Spread this evenly over the crust and bake until golden and set, about 25 minutes. Cool it in the pan on a wire cooling rack before cutting into 24 squares.
Stuffed vegetables are a popular tapas in modern Spain, but Carmen’s compatriots in her mountain hideout would love them because they can be eaten right out of the hand. The Salt Table’s Carmen Blend is the perfect seasoning for mushrooms and ham.
Serves 8-12 as an appetizer
INGREDIENTS:
24 medium cremini (brown) mushrooms
About 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 large cloves garlic, crushed, peeled, and minced
2 ounces (½ cup) minced Serrano, prosciutto, or country ham
1 cup fine stale (not dry) bread crumbs
Salt Table Carmen Blend
Dry sherry
How to make it:
Brush away any dirt that may be clinging to the mushrooms with a clean, dry cloth or soft brush. Remove the stems and chop them fine. Set both stems and whole caps aside.
Put 3 tablespoons of olive oil and the garlic in a medium skillet over medium heat. Sauté, tossing often, until fragrant and golden. Add the chopped mushroom stems and sauté until opaque and glossy, about 3 minutes. Add the ham, toss until it loses its raw red color, and turn off the heat.
Add the crumbs, toss until well mixed, and season well with Carmen Blend. Moisten well with a sprinkling of sherry and a little more olive oil. Toss well, taste, and adjust the sherry and Carmen Blend.
Lightly rub a large baking dish with olive oil. Sprinkle the inside of each mushroom cap lightly with Carmen Blend, and divide the stuffing among them, mounding it up in the center. Put mushrooms into the prepared dish. They can be made several hours ahead to this point. Cover with damp paper towels.
About 45 minutes before serving, position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 375° F. Drizzle the mushrooms with more olive oil, and bake until the lightly browned and the caps are tender, about 20 minutes. Serve at once; stuffed mushrooms don’t reheat very well.
Spicy Meatballs Carmen & Romesco Sauce Carmen (two recipes)
A terrific tapas (the Spanish “small bites” served in bars and sidewalk cafés), these are also a fine main dish and so easy to season using The Salt Table’s Carmen Blend. Serve in individual dishes or in a chafing dish, letting guests help themselves. As Carmen would say, “Prends garde à toi!”—they’re addictive!
(See Romesco Sauce Recipe below)
Serves 8-10
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound ground beef, preferably chuck, or ½ pound ground beef and ½ pound lean ground pork
½ medium yellow onion, trimmed, split lengthwise, peeled, and finely chopped
Combine the meat, onion, crumbs, and parsley and season with Carmen Blend. To taste for seasoning, pinch off a small bit, shape it into a flat cake and cook it through in a small pan with a few drops of olive oil, about 2 minutes per side. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Wet your hands and lightly roll into 24 even balls, laying them on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet.
Film the bottom of a large, seasoned iron skillet or nonstick pan with olive oil and turn on the heat to medium. When the oil is hot, add enough meatballs to fill the pan without crowding and brown them well on all sides. Transfer them to a platter and repeat with the remaining meatballs. Alternatively, you may brown them in the oven on a large, rimmed, non-stick baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 425° F., rub the baking sheet with oil, and space the meatballs on it about an inch apart. Bake 10 minutes, then carefully turn the meatballs and bake 6-8 minute longer.
Spoon off any excess fat and return the meatballs to the pan (if you’ve browned them in the oven, transfer them to large pan that will hold them in 1 layer. Add enough broth to almost half-cover them. Bring to a boil, adjust the heat to a slow simmer, loosely cover, and simmer until cooked through, about 30 minutes, turning occasionally. The liquid should reduce and mostly evaporated, but don’t let it dry up completely. Add water (not broth) by spoonfuls as needed.
Remove the lid and if the liquid isn’t mostly evaporated, raise the heat and let it evaporate. Stir in the Romesco and let it warm through. Serve in small tapas dishes or bowls. They can be made ahead: transfer to a storage container, cover, and refrigerate. When ready to serve them, gently reheat in a large skillet over medium-low heat.
(See how to make Romesco Blend below)
Romesco Sauce with Carmen Blend:
There are many variations of Romesco sauce. This one is based on one of the Catalan versions. This can be a separate recipe and is a good dip for vegetables or sturdy corn chips.
Makes about 2½ cups
Ingredients:
1 cup whole raw almonds
1 medium red bell pepper or the equivalent of roasted red bell peppers from a jar, rinsed
3 large cloves garlic, lightly crushed, peeled, and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
½ cup red wine vinegar
The Salt Table Carmen Blend
¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
How to Make Spicy Meatballs with Carmen Blend:
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350° F. Spread the almonds on a rimmed baking sheet and bake in the center of the oven until lightly colored at the center. Meanwhile, if using a fresh pepper, roast it over an open flame or in the oven at 400° F. until the skin blisters and blackens. Peel, seed, and cut it into uniform chunks.
Process the almonds in a food processor fitted with the steel blade until finely ground. Add the roasted pepper, garlic, and tomato paste, and process until puréed. Add the vinegar and a generous teaspoon of Carmen Blend. Process until smooth. With the motor running, gradually add the oil in a thin, steady stream. Taste and adjust the Carmen Blend and pulse to blend. The sauce can be made ahead. It will keep, covered
Carmen Blend marries well with just about any fish, seafood and fresh produce. You can substitute or add to the crab if you like: flaked cooked fish such as snapper, or cooked small shrimp, bay scallops, squid, and/or octopus cut into very small pieces.
Serves 4-16
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound (2 tightly-packed cups) picked crabmeat, preferably both lump and claw meat
1/3 cup thinly sliced small scallions (about 3-4), both white and green parts or minced red onion
1 large or 2 medium cloves garlic, lightly crushed, peeled, and finely minced
Extra virgin olive oil
Freshly squeezed lemon juice from 1-to-1-1/2 lemons
The Salt Table Carmen Blend
4 medium ripe tomatoes, 8 small Roma tomatoes, or a 24-36 mini San Marzano or cherry tomatoes
The Salt Table Fine Sea Salt
Smoked paprika and/or basil leaves, optional, for garnish
How to Make It:
Pick over the crabmeat for bits of shell and put it in mixing bowl. Add the scallion and garlic and gently toss to mix.
Lightly drizzle it with olive oil and toss until lightly but evenly coated. Sprinkle with the juice from 1 lemon, gently toss, then season lightly with Carmen Blend. Gently toss again and let it stand 15-20 minutes. Taste, adjust the Carmen Blend and lemon juice, and toss again. Cover and refrigerated at least 1 hour or until needed; can be made up to a day ahead.
About half an hour before serving, cut off about 1/4-inch of top (stem end) of the medium tomatoes, halve the Roma or mini San Marzano tomatoes lengthwise, or cap the cherry tomatoes. Carefully scoop out their seeds and inner pulp, leaving only outer flesh to form shell. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and invert over wire rack set in sink. Drain at least 20 minutes.
To serve, gently pat tomato shells dry. Spoon crabmeat into tomato shells. If liked, garnish with paprika and/or basil leaves and serve. The larger tomatoes can be served as an appetizer course at the table, on a lettuce leaf with crackers or toast on the side.
This old-fashioned holiday treat has lost a lot of its cachet thanks to the advent of packaged flavored gelatin, but it is a lovely, light dessert that (somewhat) counterbalances heavy holiday fare, especially when we’ve rather over-indulged ourselves.
The Salt Table’s Cinnamon and Vanilla infused sugars simplify the spicing of this traditional treat and infuse them with deep flavor without having to food with whole cinnamon sticks and vanilla beans.
Using a vegetable peeler, remove the zest from half of a large or all of a small lemon in 2-3 pieces. Halve and juice the lemons through strainer. Bring 2 cups of water and the zest to a boil in a small saucepan. Adjust the heat to medium-low and simmer 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, dissolve the gelatin in remaining ¼ cup cold water and let it soften 5 minutes. Add both sugars to the simmering water and stir until dissolved. Turn off the heat. Add the softened gelatin and stir well, making sure that the gelatin completely dissolves. Let it cool.
Stir in the sherry and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Taste and adjust the lemon juice, stir well, and pour it into individual glass or crystal dishes such as champagne glasses or, if you happen to have them, those trumpet-shaped jelly glasses. Refrigerate until set, about 4 hours. Serve with Bourbon Custard poured over each, or pass the custard in a pitcher.
Bourbon Custard
The Salt Table’s Vanilla Sugar infuses delicate but distinctive vanilla flavoring into this traditional Southern treat without the trouble a whole vanilla bean or sharp flavor that vanilla extract often imparts.
7 tablespoons (½ cup minus 1 tablespoon) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon bourbon
HOW TO MAKE IT:
If you don’t have a really heavy-bottomed saucepan with a copper or aluminum core, prepare the bottom pan of a double boiler with simmering water. Over direct medium heat, scald the milk in a heavy-bottomed pan or top pan of a double boiler, bringing it just under the boiling point. When it’s almost boiling, if you’re using the heavy pan, lower the heat to medium-low or put the double-boiler top pan over the pan of simmering water.
In heatproof bowl, beat together the egg yolks and both sugars until it’s light and smooth and runs off the spoon in ribbons. Slowly beat in 1 cup of the hot milk, then slowly beat into the remaining hot milk.
Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden or metal spoon (not silicone), until it thickly coats the back of the spoon, about 3-5 minutes. Remove it from the heat (if using a double boiler, remove it from over the water) and stir until cooled slightly, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in the bourbon. Let it cool completely, cover, and chill before serving
Salt Table’s Savannah Spanish Moss or All ‘Round Good Grinder Blend
A Holiday breakfast or brunch standard, a strata is really nothing more than a savory bread pudding. It also makes a lovely supper dish for any chilly evening throughout the year. The Salt Table’s Savannah Spanish Moss Blend makes seasoning it a snap. Another perfect match for it is the ever-popular All ‘Round Good Grinder Blend, which is delightful with ham and eggs. You can add a little chopped fresh oregano to freshen the flavors, but it really doesn’t need it.
Serves 6 to 8
INGREDIENTS:
9 slices firm, home-style white bread
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ medium red bell pepper, stems, core and membranes removed, diced
½ medium green bell pepper, stems, core and membranes removed, diced
8 ounces brown (crimini or baby bella) mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 cup sliced green onions, both white and green parts
1½ cups diced cooked ham
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar, Gruyere, or Swiss cheese
Cut the bread into large dice (some cut enough for the top layer into decorative shapes with a cookie cutter). Butter a 9×13-inch casserole and put in half the bread.
Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add the peppers and sauté 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and raise the heat to medium high. Sauté until they’re opaque, about 3 minutes, then add the green onions and ham and toss until hot, about a minute. Turn off the heat.
Scatter the ham, pepper, mushrooms, and green onions mixture over the bread in the casserole dish. Season well with Spanish Moss Blend. Sprinkle half of both cheeses evenly over it and top with the remaining bread.
Whisk together the eggs and milk and 2 teaspoons (or to taste) Spanish Moss Blend. Pour this over the entire casserole, cover with plastic wrap, and let it sit until the bread has fully absorbed the custard, about 30 minutes, or refrigerate it overnight. Let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.
Preheat the oven to 375° F. Uncover the strata and bake until it’s almost set, about 30-35 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake until golden and firm at the center, about 15-20 minutes longer. Let it rest 10 minutes before cutting.
This is perfect for holiday entertaining or to warm up a blustery night with the family. The Salt Table’s Savannah Summer Salt and Taco Seasoning simplify the flavorings and make putting it together a snap.
Serves 6-8
INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
1 pound ground beef chuck, preferably from grass-fed cattle
1-2 ripe tomatoes, cored, seeded, and chopped, optional
2-3 Jalapeno peppers stemmed, cored, seeded and diced, optional
HOW TO MAKE IT:
Warm the oil in a 10-inch skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Crumble in the beef, raise the heat to medium-high, and sauté, tossing or stirring occasionally, until it has lost its raw, red color and is beginning to brown. Remove it from the pan and add the onion. Sauté until it is golden and softened, about 4 minutes.
Return the beef to the pan. Season well with Summer Salt and Taco Seasoning. Add the tomatoes, chili sauce, and broth and bring it to a simmer. Adjust the heat to a slow simmer and let it cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick and the beef is tender, about an hour—longer won’t hurt it.
When ready to serve, stir in the cheese and transfer to a warm serving dish, chafing dish, or slow cooker set on low. Garnish if liked with tomato and jalapeno peppers (or a milder pepper if you prefer) and serve with corn or tortilla chips. You may also offer the dip plain with tortilla chips and serve the cheese and optional garnishes on the side, to be added by each guest.
This is great for novices, especially with The Salt Table’s Savannah Spanish Moss Blend: Once the onion and celery are chopped, it’s all just dumped together, mixed, and baked. There’s no sautéing or precooking involved. You can even omit the eggs if you want the dressing to be a little looser.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350° F. Put the butter into a 9-inch-square baking pan or dish and put the dish in the oven until the butter just melted.
Put the crumbs in a large mixing bowl. Swirl the melted butter in the pan to coat it, then pour the butter over crumbs. Add the onion and celery and season well with about 1 tablespoon of Spanish Moss Blend. If you like, you may add chopped fresh sage for a fresh, brighter flavor. Toss until well mixed. Wet it well with broth—not so it’s soggy—but wet and yet still a little loose. Mix well, taste, and adjust the Spanish Moss Blend. Add the eggs and toss again until crumbs are evenly coated, adding a little more broth if the dressing is still too loose.
Pour the dressing into the buttered pan and pat it flat. Bake until center is set and top golden brown, about 45 minutes. To give it the texture of stuffing, before putting it in to bake, baste with some of the turkey’s drippings and cover with foil. Let it sit for 10 minutes before serving.
This venerable Southern classic is a standard for any hostess worth her iced tea. The best cheese for these is an old, super-sharp cheddar, the kind that will practically take the roof off your mouth. If you can’t get such wonders, mixing in a bit of Parmigiano-Reggiano gives it just the right kick. Most recipes call for both salt and cayenne: Since The Salt Table’s Sriracha Sea Salt is both in one, the seasoning is a little easier, a welcome thing with our busy holiday schedules!
In a food processor fitted with a steel blade or with a mixer, cream the cheese and butter until fluffy and smooth.
Add the Sriracha Sea Salt, and flour and process or work it into a smooth dough. Taste and adjust the salt to suit you. Gather it into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and chill at least half an hour or up to 1 hour, but don’t let it get completely hard. If you make it ahead to bake later, let it soften at room temperature for about half an hour, so that it’s still cool but pliable.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 325° F. Put the dough into a cookie press fitted with the star die and press it out onto an un-greased baking sheet into narrow 2½-inch straws, leaving about ½ inch between. Or lightly flour a work surface and roll it out a little less than ¼ inch thick. Cut with a knife or a zigzag pastry wheel into ½-inch by 2½-inch strips, or with small cookie cutters into decorative shapes, laying them on the baking sheet as you go.
Bake for about 18 to 20 minutes, being careful not to let them brown on top. The bottoms should be golden but the tops and sides should not color. Cool on the pan before transferring them to an airtight storage container.
Adapted from Essentials of Southern Cooking by Damon Lee Fowler especially for The Salt Table’s Sriracha Sea Salt, by permission of the author.
Recipe by Damon Lee Fowler, featuring 
