Thursday, August 5, 2010

Mountain Farm Smokey Salt with tea and lavender

You really shouldn't read a food magazine when you're hungry. Actually, it wasn't *technically* a food magazine I was reading, it was the food issue of North Carolina's Our State magazine. They came up with the brilliant idea of featuring a food from all 100 counties in the state, and one of the featured foods was the culinary lavender from Mountain Farm in Burnsville. Marilyn Cade, who is described as "obsessed with lavender," makes "lavender vinegar, lavender-infused honey, and a lavender smokey salt — salt imported from France mixed with lavender and lapsang souchong tea." Naturally, I had to go online and order some. I don't like to drink lapsang souchong tea, but I do enjoy cooking with it!

This view of the inside of the jar shows the chunks of salt interspersed with the lavender and tea. The tag on the jar recommends different ways of using the salt.

I decided to experiment on half a tilapia fillet at supper last night. I used a little too much of the salt because the fish was a bit too salty. Still, I have to say I was very pleased with the faint taste of lavender and the smokey but pleasant dry lapsang souchong tea, which has a whole different character when baked in the oven instead of steeped in a cup of tea. Count me a happy customer of this delicious salt blend, and now I can't wait to try it on oven-roasted vegetables!

8 comments:

  1. Wow that is from my neck of the woods. Sounds fabulous!!! I will keep my eyes open for that product next time I am up in Burnsville.

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  2. What a neat product - thanks for sharing, Joanie

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  3. That gourmet salt sounds good. I too am not fond of drinking Lapsang Souchong tea, but recently tried Lapsang marinated chicken salad and it was quite tasty.

    Thanks for the review.

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  4. That is so interesting. I am not sure I have ever tried Lapsang Souchong, but I like the idea of cooking with tea and with lavender. I have tried to grow lavender but haven't had any luck, yet. Thanks for the recommendation.

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  5. I lurve to use Sea Salt on veggies but this is something I have never seen!

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  6. After drinking a horrible cup of Lapsang Souchong tea last weekend, I'm a bit weary of it right now. (as tea it's terrible!) But since it's from my state I'll have to check this salt out. I wonder if I could get a similar taste by mixing dry Lapsang Souchong tea with Herbs de Provence and salt?
    Did you know Our State also has a TV show? It's probably only shown in NC, it's on public tv. Here is another TV show that's about Mountain Farm: http://www.unctv.org/ncfarmfresh/Agritourism.html

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  7. I picked up a jar of the Mountain Farm Smokey Salt while visiting the Burnsville, NC farmers market. I am totally hooked on this stuff! Absolutely incredible on lentils, and a must with my ham and bean soup. Great balance of all the flavors.

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