Kitchen Terms: Blanching

  I always thinking about what I can add to my blog that might be helpful. Terms came to mind the other day because my girlfriend asked me what blanching meant and what was it for. I realized that there are a lot of terms out there that most of us do not understand and can take advantage of while in the kitchen to make things easier. So this week I will start with the meaning of blanching and I will provide a recipe with it. I will try to do this once a week and provide a recipe with the term we will use.

Blanching:

Blanching is a process, where whichever fruit or vegetable, is plunged into boiling water and then removed and finally plunged into icy water( shocked ), to halt the cooking process. This normally works wonders when using asparagus or green beans in dishes. If we sometimes continue cooking or leave these items in boiling water they become soggy. For my Spicy Collard Greens recipe I love my green beans blanched at times. The crispiness with my wilting collard greens makes a great contrast. Nuts and pistachios blanched are always a great idea to help remove the outer skin. The recipe I will use is that of a Pomodoro salad. I love blanching the tomatoes because this gives the salad the needed fresh tomato juice but no messiness with the peeling or any sogginess. 

Pomodoro Salad

• 3 large tomatoes
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 -2 garlic clove, crushed
• 1/8 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/8 teaspoon oregano or 1/4 teaspoon italian seasoning 
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onions 
• salt and pepper

Directions:

     Blanching: Boil some water and in a big bowl add cold icy water. Add the tomatoes to the boiling water then remove and add immediately to the icy cold water. You will automatically see the skin of the tomatoes wrinkle up and semi peel. Peel the skins and cut into slices or cubes. This will add some juice to the pomodoro salad but will not create a soggy mess since the tomatoes will remain almost entirely intact.

1. In a bowl put oil, onion and seasonings.
2. Add tomatoes, either sliced or in small chunks.
3. Use salt and pepper to taste, and mix well.
4. Let marinate at room temperature at least an hour, for a few hours in the refrigerator.
5. Italian or French bread or crusty rolls are a must to accompany this delicious yet simple salad.
   Enjoy!