Most people prefer sweet butter at the table, but there’s a contingent that favors salty. A solution to please everyone: Serve sweet butter and provide a cellar of delicious sea salt. Salt butter lovers can sprinkle a few grains on their butter, and enjoy the superior flavor and crunch of the sea salt over commercial salted butter. In fact, some award-winning salted butters are made by blending creamery butter with sel gris or another fine sea salt, and some top restaurants serve sweet butter with sea salt on top. Be artistic with black or red lava salts.
Read about the one salt butter we love: from Vermont Butter & Cheese. It’s perfect—just a touch of salt in an exceptional artisan butter. Butter lovers: It’s worth sending for if you can’t find it locally.
September 27, 2009 at 7:00 am
· Filed under Kids, Organic
Parents who insist on the best for their children have two new choices in the popular all-natural Mac & Cheese from Annie’s Homegrown.
Lower-Sodium Mac & Cheese presents the classic kids’ favorite with 25% less sodium than the leading brands.
5-Grain Elbows & White Cheddar blends durham wheat with four ancient whole grains: amaranth, kamut, quinoa and spelt. It contains 8g or more of whole grains per serving, an it’s also USDA-certified organic.
Our investigative adult palates preferred the slightly more sophisticated taste of the 5-Grain variety, but we’re betting the nuances will be lost on kids. They’ll only note that the 5-Grain is white, not orange. Try the tip from Annie’s Homegrown to substitute yogurt for the milk for a tangier taste.
Annie’s Homegrown has also launched new Organic Cheddar Snack Mix Bunnies: crunchy Cheddar bunny crackers, buttery bunny crackers and pretzels, with a light seasoning of Organic Valley Cheddar cheese. Visit Annies.com to learn more.
Save some for the kids! A favorite snack mix, USDA-certified organic. Photo by Hannah
Kaminsky | THE NIBBLE.
One of our favorite salad greens, not served often enough in the U.S., is the classic French frisée (curly endive). A salade frisée (frisée salad) is traditionally served with crumbled Roquefort cheese and lardons, which are crisp, browned chunks of pork belly (you can substitute bacon or pancetta). Toss the salad with a classic vinaigrette. For even more panache, add some fan-sliced red pear and a few toasted walnut halves.
A honey of a yogurt, Voskos is one of our
favorite brands. Photo by Hannah Kaminsky
| THE NIBBLE.
Voskos Greek Yogurt is another welcome brand of Greek-style yogurt that is bound to please those who prefer their yogurt more like thick, creamy sour cream and less on the tart and tangy side. The company, based in California, offers a full family of all natural yogurt:
Plain in whole milk (“original”), Lowfat (2%) and Nonfat (0%) in 8-ounce and 16-ounce containers
Nonfat 5.3-ounce cups in Exotic Fig, Greek Honey, Honey Vanilla Bean, Wild Blueberry and Wild Strawberry
Organic nonfat 8-ounce cups in Plain, Greek Honey and Vanilla Bean
The Honey Vanilla Bean and Wild Strawberry have become our favorite vanilla and strawberry yogurts.
Packed with probiotic cultures, Voskos will also help those who have digestive problems. The line is certified kosher, rBGH-free and gluten-free.
We can’t end National Honey Month without talking about infused honey. Whether you like subtle flavors like lavender and anise or hot chile spice, there’s a honey recipe for you. Take 2 cups of honey and stir over medium heat until warm. Place your favorite herb or spice and on the bottom of a heat-proof jar and add the honey. Cool, seal and let the flavors mingle for two days. A tablespoon or two of infused honey can be the star of marinades and glazes, salad dressings, cocktails, honey mustards and dessert toppings.