salted

by laurie lamountain

Salt is perhaps the most controversial of seasonings. While too much of it in your diet can be harmful, so can too little. Also known as sodium chloride (NaCl), salt is made up of roughly 40% sodium and 60% chloride—two minerals that play an important role in health. Sodium is essential for several body functions, including fluid balance, nutrient absorption, nerve health and muscle function. But while your body needs some salt to function properly, too much of it can pose health risks, especially for people with hypertension (high blood pressure). Conversely, it’s possible for those with normal blood pressure to experience hypotension (low blood pressure) with too little salt.

First introduced to the human diet when our ancestors discovered that high concentrations of salt prevented food, mainly meat, from spoiling, it has since become an inevitable ingredient in nearly all processed foods. In truth, if you want to control your salt intake, the best way to do it is to prepare your own food and include lots of naturally low-salt foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains in your diet.

Table salt usually contains added iodine, an essential trace mineral not made by the body, but my go-to salt is sea salt. I keep a small clay pot of fine sea salt beside the stove and endeavor to use the least amount possible to bump up the flavors of what I’m cooking. When it comes to roasting, I prefer coarse sea salt. Oven baked fries are great with porcini or black truffle salt and baked fish is delicious with a dusting of coarse sea salt infused with lemon peel, rosemary and garlic. If you are following a recipe, it’s important to never substitute one type of salt for another directly. Coarse or kosher salt has larger granules than fine salt, so if a recipe calls for it, stick to it or use much less fine salt. Tasteful Things, a specialty food store with shops in Bridgton and Naples, carries a nice selection of fine, coarse and infused Maine sea salts from Gryffon Ridge Spice Merchants, as well as an impressive choice of cold pressed olive oils.

While cooking lets you determine how much salt there is in your diet, with so many choices it’s easy to get carried away. There’s a fine line between salted and assaulted and, despite claims that you can add a few pieces of raw potato to soak up the excess salt, or mask it by adding lemon juice or vinegar, I’m not convinced. The best way to avoid a culinary disaster is judiciousness. Taste as you go and remember that under salting is an easy fix. I’ve often found that all it takes is a few grains to make the flavors in a dish bloom. It’s for this reason that you won’t find a salt shaker at my table, because the surest way to offend the cook in me is to salt the food I’ve served you before tasting it. Just ask my husband. R

Serves: 8 Fresh baby spinach is tossed with diced pears, dried cherries, goat cheese and salt and pepper, then tastefully finished with a warm bacon and sherry vinaigrette.

1 lb baby spinach 8 oz fresh goat cheese 2 pears, diced 1/2 c dried cherries 6 slices high quality bacon, cooked, cut in small pieces (reserve excess fat) 8 sprigs fresh thyme 1 large shallot, minced 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1/3 c sherry vinegar 1 tsp sea salt (fine or coarse) 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper, or to taste Place spinach, pears, dried cherries and goat cheese in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Cut bacon in 1” pieces and cook until almost crispy. Remove from pan and reserve rendered fat. Add EVOO and sauté shallots and thyme for one minute. Add the sherry vinegar and remove from heat.

Combine hot dressing with salad and toss well. Adjust seasoning and serve immediately.

Serves: 4-6 Strata makes a perfect brunch dish because it’s even better if you prepare it the night before—affording you more time to sleep in on Sunday morning. Think of it as a savory bread pudding baked with eggs, cream, cheese and whatever vegetables are in season.

3 Tbsp olive oil 2 c sliced baby portobella mushrooms 1 pint cherry tomatoes 10 eggs 3 c milk 1 1/2 c grated cheddar 1 c grated fontina 1 c grated Parmesan 1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt 1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg 1/4 tsp cayenne 1 c baby spinach 16-oz loaf of crusty bread, cut into 1” cubes Warm a large skillet over medium heat, add mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until they release almost all of their liquid. Add olive oil and continue to sauté the mushrooms until nicely browned, about 6-8 minutes. Set mushrooms aside. Add cherry tomatoes to the pan and sauté until they are lightly blistered, about 5 minutes.

Whisk eggs in a large bowl. Add milk, cheese, and seasonings. Whisk to combine.

Layer a greased 9x13” baking dish with cubed bread, sautéed mushrooms, tomatoes and spinach. Pour the egg mixture over everything. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Remove the strata from the refrigerator the following morning and preheat oven to 350˚. Bake 40 to 50 minutes, until the strata is set on the bottom and the top is golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1” cubes 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt, plus more for finishing 2 Tbsp olive oil 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1/4 c Maine maple syrup 1/4 c pecan pieces Preheat oven to 425˚ (400˚ for convection) and lightly coat a 9x13” baking pan with cooking spray. Mix all the ingredients, except the pecans, in a large bowl and transfer to the pan. Roast for 25-30 minutes, stirring halfway through. Finish with lightly toasted pecans and a sprinkle of coarse salt.

Sea salt nicely tempers the bitterness of Campari and coffee in this surprisingly smooth caffeinated cocktail. Simply multiply the ingredients to make more than one cocktail.

1 oz Campari 1 oz sweet vermouth 1 oz strong, cold brew coffee 1 blood orange, cut into rounds 1 c crushed ice dash of sea salt

Serves 10-12

Crust: 1 1/4 c flour 1/2 tsp fine sea salt 1 stick unsalted butter, cubed 2 Tbsp ice water Filling: 2 cups pecans, toasted and chopped 1/4 c sugar 1/3 c corn syrup 1/3 c heavy cream 1 vanilla bean, scraped, or 2 tsp pure vanilla extract 2 Tbsp bourbon 1 1/2 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped 2 Tbsp unsalted butter 1/2 tsp fine sea salt 1 tsp coarse sea salt for garnish

For the crust: place flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment and pulse to combine. Add butter and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. With the processor running, slowly add ice water until the mixture comes together and begins to form a ball. Flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Preheat oven to 350˚. Roll the crust out on a lightly floured surface to 1/4” thick and press into a 10” tart pan with removable bottom. Use a fork to poke holes in the crust. Line with parchment paper and dried beans or pie weights, and bake for 15 minutes. Remove weights and bake for an additional 15 minutes, until golden brown.

For the filling: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add sugar and corn syrup. Cook until the color of a dark copper penny. Remove from heat and stir in cream, vanilla bean and bourbon. Add chocolate, butter and half teaspoon salt and whisk until smooth. Stir in pecans and pour the mixture into the baked tart shell. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Rest at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours before serving.

Sea Salted Sunday Brunch recipes are adapted from the Morton Sea Salt Recipe Collection at mortonsalt.com/recipe-book/ sea-salt-recipes/ has seen an influx of new artists who have discovered their previously hidden talents.

Both women acknowledge that it’s the local people who really saved or made their stores. Jessica says, “Customers were well aware of all the businesses that had to close during the pandemic and I think a lot of people in our community made a point of coming in and supporting the shop because they didn’t want to see that happen to us. A lot of customers seemed genuinely concerned about our survival.” She believes that support is the real reason Firefly has had such a successful year.

Shannon completes the story as she tells me that she opens the store a little bit early for some elderly customers who want to shop when no one else is around. She also personally delivers to one housebound gentleman.

It seems obvious that Main Street takes the click out of shopping because it’s a place where we feel safe and welcome. We can also feel better because we’re supporting the local economy and our planet by not adding more packing material to the waste stream.

There’s hope that we’ll continue to move away from easy one-click buys and same-day delivery and that these and other vibrant small shops will continue to thrive. What a welcome legacy from this pandemic that would be. R

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