A Taste of the Garden: Verdurette
© Leda Meredith
There are some recipes that are so useful they become part of several dozen other recipes. This is one of those! It is an excellent way to use odds and ends of the last of this year's garden vegetables, or the leftover produce in the crisper drawer. It also makes good use of the aromatic herbs that may still be going strong in your garden.
Verdurette is a Provencal-style vegetable stock concentrate. Once you have a jar of it in the fridge (or cool cellar), you can throw away those dubious cubes of bouillon, those tasteless cans of commercial broth. Plain rice takes on new savor, bean dishes and stews are more richly flavored. A little Verdurette goes a long way, and it will keep for up to a year, so you don't have to make it often.
Salt is used to preserve the fresh vegetables and herbs. If you are on a low-sodium diet, this recipe is not for you. It is best to use a non-iodized salt, such as kosher salt. Regular table salt will work as far as taste and preservation, but the colors of the flecks of herbs and vegetables may darken.
I first came across a version of Verdurette in the wonderfully helpful book, Keeping Food Fresh: Old World Techniques and Recipes, by the gardeners and farmers of Terre Vivant. This simple recipe has found its way into the rhythms of our kitchen and garden, so that by now I know we need a fresh quart jar-full made once mid-spring and another in early autumn. You can make it smaller amounts as well, depending on what you have available.
The version below is my own, based on taste and what I have in the garden. Feel free to experiment, so long as you keep the 4:1 ratio of total fresh minced vegetables and herbs to salt. If you don't have a garden, but occasionally buy those bundles of fresh herbs that have become common at the supermarket, Verdurette is a good way to use up any leftover sprigs. I'm also including a dried herb version, but I strongly suggest you use fresh herbs whenever possible.
One last note: a food processor is very helpful for this. Otherwise, be prepared to do a lot of work with that kitchen knife!
Verdurette
1 part salt
1 part alliums (onions, garlic, leeks, shallots, ramps, etc.)
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