Shrubs date back to early agricultural
times and consist of a little bit of
vinegar, added to a lot of water, to
provide flavor and soothing effects.
Variations of the elixir show up around
the world. I'd like to think about things
that share chemical compounds with the
flavor profile of balsamic vinegar of
Modena. For me that's strawberry, rosemary,
thyme, vanilla and flavors that come from
wood. These pair well with balsamic
because it's aged in cherry wood.
I picked oxalis from our garden and dried
figs which were seasonally available.
You can use any dark fruit in this shrub. I'm
going bold and simple in terms of the
Italian lexicon of fresh herbs. Rosemary
and thyme would be grown on
mountainsides and used in regional
dishes.
These are historically natural pairings.
Because aged balsamic has such a strong
flavor, you really need a strong herb
that will pair well and not get lost.
To make a shrub with balsamic you can go as
simple as adding a couple of drops of
balsamic to 8 ounces of water and build
upon that base with different
combinations of waters, herbs, edible
flowers or fragrant and aromatic spices,
as far as your imagination can take you.
I'm always looking for new and novel
ways to add more water to my diet, with a
balsamic shrub you're getting a low
sugar alternative to the hit of sugary
syrup that you'd get from a soda or
juice. Typically a shrub is a
non-alcoholic beverage, it brings
hydration and takes the place of what
might be water in a diet. It's going to
bring in some of those mouth-watering
characteristics that come from a high
acid food, just like drinking a glass of
white wine. It's the same hydrating and
salivating benefit that prepares your
body for a meal without the alcohol.
We're adding some basic components to a
diet that we all need while diversifying
the palate. Shrubs have a historical
connotation for being refreshing
beverages that were served to farm hands
because they were cooling and had some
flavor.
I split two vanilla beans and scrape out
the seeds. You can save the pods and use
these in addition to, or apart from, the
seeds. Shrubs utilized staple ingredients
available at the time, including vinegar.
Aged balsamic provides color and
concentrated flavor that lends itself to
being diluted in such a way that we're
not going to lose the delicious
sweetness and fruit flavor, once we add
water. Shrubs aren't defined by strict
recipes. There's so much room for play.
You can decide the amount and type of
ingredients you want to add or whatever
flavor profile you want to achieve. An
interesting twist is to use seltzer and
a spirit to make a spritz or you can use
Prosecco, cava or champagne. I could see
the shrub working into a happy hour
prior to a meal. What's really great is
that it's hydrating, bringing in the
balsamic is going to create that
mouth-watering sensation which is an
expression of your biology when getting
ready to digest. That's why a shrub can
play a useful role at the beginning of a
meal, at the appetizer or cocktail
portion with assorted cheeses or antipasti.
It's an effervescent pairing for the
equally versatile cheese platter.
Salute!
