Foraged Tea
“If you live in Sonoma County and purchase chamomile tea in the spring, I hope you are truly a connoisseur of fine packaging,” Chef Todd Knoll jokes. “Fresh tea sings with life. Dried herbal tea from a box now seems like settling. So much is lost.”
To make his foraged teas, Knoll uses loose guidelines with no precise measurements needed. He prefers Mountain Valley or Fiji water, which is soft, neutral and rich with silica, and brings the water to a very conservative brewing temperature of no more than 175° with a brew time of no more than three minutes. Madrone and manzanita bark, easily harvested into perfect cinnamon curls with a pocket knife, bring the earthy, spiced base notes to most teas and are steeped in the first minute of a two-step process. As the water begins to take on color, add other ingredients, such as wild chamomile, clover, verbena, bay nut, fennel, wild rose and even dried matsutake mushrooms from the coast. Let the plants and flowers steep for the remaining two minutes and pour into a tea press before serving. The resulting tea is simple, fresh, alive and immediately enjoyable.
Nasturtium Vinaigrette
Nasturtium is a common, wild flowering plant available to even the urban forager. The colorful and prolific flowers are found in our gardens, parks and the wild. Knoll incorporates “volunteer” nasturtium from Jordan Estate into his infused vinaigrette. Their flowers and tender leaves bring pepper, spice and jewel tones to summer and fall dishes. Flowers and leaves are harvested, washed, spun- dried and separated. The flowers are combined with a cup of verjus and a teaspoon of kosher salt in a one-gallon Ziploc bag and left to macerate in the refrigerator for three days. Leaves are placed in a separate one-gallon Ziploc bag, covered in Jordan Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil, massaged to bruise the leaves and placed in the refrigerator to infuse for one day. Once finished, strain each into a separate, sterile mason jar and store for up to two weeks. Use the infused verjus for a pickling project or combine both into a vinaigrette and drizzle over summer salads or grilled fish.
Conifer Salt
This striking, emerald finishing salt is magical in its simplicity and ability to “capture” spring in Wine Country— a blend of coarse sea salt and new conifer buds from around the Jordan Estate. The easily identifiable, bright tips pop against the dark green of the Jordan pine trees. “These tips are an excellent source of vitamin C,” Knoll says, popping one in his mouth. “These are only collected in the spring when their flavor is sweet and subtle, rather than resinous pine.” The collected buds and salt are simply pulverized in a rustic mortar and pestle until integrated. The resulting vibrant green seasoning is best used as soon as possible to retain color and perfume. Garnish grilled meats, proteins or vegetables with conifer salt before serving. Combined with marjoram and thyme, this is the finishing salt of choice for Jordan spring lamb.
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