We recently acquired a new ingredient to experiment with: a proper balsamic vinegar. This balsamic is made from Lambrusco, Trebbiano and Sangiovese grapes by Acetaia La Bonissima in Modena, Italy. It has been aged for a total of ten years in a long list of different woods. We had heard that a really good balsamic is something that you can enjoy sipping all by itself (vinegar? seriously?), but didn't really believe that until we tasted this. We were enjoying a beautiful Sunday out at the SoWa Open Market in the South End of Boston yesterday and happened upon a tent where a very passionate advocate of olive oils and balsamic vinegars was peddling his wares and offering well-narrated tastings. This stuff is ridiculous -- as fruity and rich as port wine, but with the sour bite of vinegar and a finish that stays with you for a few long, blissful minutes.
Used sparingly on grilled vegetables, fruit, fish and meats, it is a real treat. To inaugurate this new addition to our kitchen Melissa made a great meal tonight: grilled pork loin, romaine heart salad with mung bean sprouts, and a grilled peach half cradling a small pool of balsamic vinegar in its pit. The pairing of the pork, peaches and balsamic was so good that I forgot about the wine until the last few bites of my dinner -- which is a shame because the 2006 Tohu Pinot Noir we had (Marlborough, NZ) was a terrific match to the dish. Keep using that giant bottle of balsamic vinegar you bought at the grocery store for salad dressing, but get a bottle of really good balsamic and use it a few drops at a time on your special fruits, veggies and meats -- even ice cream or aged hard cheeses -- and you'll agree that it's worth every penny. I'm not optimistic about how long this rather expensive bottle will last in our house...
Two other recent dishes from the grill that were particularly noteworthy:
Another grilled pork dish, with sage and onion potatoes (the sage plant is already out of control and needed a serious pruning). The pork really needs nothing more that salt and pepper, and the trick is to get it off the heat before it gets tough and dry. Better to undercook than overcook -- it can always go back to the fire if you're squeamish about a little pink in the middle...
Last Saturday we were both thinking fish, so we picked up some nice looking rainbow trout and had it grilled with sliced yellow squash and Melissa's peach salsa (vine-ripened tomatoes, orange capsicum, peaches, lemon juice, chopped cilantro and sea salt). We enjoyed this meal out in the garden, and even Amanda ate the fish (we actually turned her ages ago).
Sorry for the long hiatus -- I'll try to post a bit more often...
