MAKES ¼ POUND GREEN ALMONDS / TIME: 35 MIN
Underripe almonds (almonds are actually fruits, not nuts) can also be delicious, with a fresh, green taste that feels younger and lighter. I love green almonds but can find them in the markets for only a short time each year. The first stage of the green almond is when there is no nut inside, just the fuzzy fruit. The inside is gel-like. The second stage (I call it the middle-aged green almond) is when the nut is forming but the outside husk is still soft and has not formed a hard brown shell. Both stages are fine, but once the outside shell is brown and hard, you can’t eat that shell. When you pickle them, green almonds taste almost like olives, but with the young nuts on the inside. You can also pickle other unripe nuts, such as unripe green hazelnuts.
You can use pickled green almonds in so many different things. Chop them and make a kind of chutney with lemon and olive oil. Serve with toast or anything that needs some tangy kick. (See for example the photo here.)
4¼ cups water
1 heaping tablespoon kosher salt
¼ pound green almonds or other unripe fruit
Heat the water and salt in a medium pot over medium heat, until the salt is dissolved. Reduce the heat and add the almonds. ( I use a Vacupack vacuum sealer in order to keep the green color. If you are just simmering them they may turn dark, but they still taste good.) Simmer for about 20–30 minutes, until soft. The harder the shell is, the longer you have to leave it to become ready. Pour into 2 large mason jars and refrigerate until salty, about 3–4 days.
For serving, remove the almonds from the liquid and slice into ⅛-inch-thick rounds, or about 4 slices per almond.
Flowers on cultivated greens often signal to farmers that it is time to throw the plant away because the lettuce or mustard greens have grown old and the plant has “bolted.” It is such a waste because these flowers can be delicious and beautiful. Flowers that are not grown purposely for ornamentation (both from vegetables and as true wildflowers) can be more beautiful than a Valentine’s Day rose bouquet, having in addition aroma and deliciousness. Some examples are:
CHIVE AND WILD GARLIC FLOWERS: Of the Allium genus, both cultivated as well as wild alliums will often produce aerial flowers and bulbets (i.e., bulbs on top the shoot, not underground); both are delicious.
REDBUD FLOWER: The flower of the native redbud tree, Cercis canadensis. Indigenous and available as a landscape tree.
ROSE PETALS: Rosa rugosa, often found wild at the beach, is Asian in origin. Rosa virginiana is less deep in color and a bit more delicate, and indigenous to North America. Wild rose petals are among my favorites. They are a beautiful color and highly fragrant. See the Pickled Wild Rose Petals recipe here.
GREEN CORIANDER FLOWERS AND SEEDS: Coriander leaves are a widely cultivated herb, sold as fresh green leaves. But coriander often bolts, meaning it flowers when the days get too warm. This has always been viewed as a sign that the season for farmers is past, and efforts have been made to produce slow-bolting coriander. But the real secret is this: The flowers and green seeds that form after bolting are absolutely delicious and packed with flavor. Use the green seeds in stir-fries, sauces, in both Asian and Western dishes. You can plant coriander in a container on your windowsill or find the seeds and flowers by asking at the farmer’s market or visiting an herb farm as the weather starts to turn warm. They may have whole bouquets of the flowers and seeds available. No prep is necessary. Just throw the seeds in stir-fries or sauces. See the Broccoli Stems with Lardo recipe here. You will never buy bottled white coriander seeds again!
MUSTARD FLOWERS: Brassica family. People enjoy mustard family plants such as broccoli, bok choy, and cabbage mostly for their greens. However, once the greens mature, they flower and then go to seed. Mustard flowers are fabulous on their own and there are so many different species. The Japanese have a long tradition of pickling and eating mustard flowers as a delicate celebration of the season, not the ending of it.
MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP / TIME: 5 MIN
Instead of thinking of flowers only to go with something sweet, think of capturing their fragrance in main dishes, by pickling them. To extend the short season for the petals, I like to pickle them to go with beets, carrots, and fish.
1 cup lightly packed wild rose petals
1 cup apple cider vinegar
Pour the vinegar over the rose petals in a sterilized jar. Cover and refrigerate for up to 6 months.