Fermented Bloody Mary Base
Excerpted from Field Notes for Food Adventure by Brad Leone
Fermented Bloody Mary Base
I love Bloody Marys, always have. I’ve had ones I can’t finish and ones I dream about often.
For an arsenal of garnishes, you can pickle carrots, celery with leaves, olives, and small mushrooms the day before by soaking them all in vinegar with celery seed, fennel, and peppercorns. Or you can buy your favorite local pickles and accoutrements!
SERVES: 4
INGREDIENTS
2 pounds cherry tomatoes
40 grams grated fresh horseradish root
3 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
1/2 tsp Brad’s Za’atar (see below) or store-bought
15 grams kosher salt
Combine all of the ingredients in a vacuum bag or a jar and allow to ferment at room temperature for 3 days or up to a week, until bubbly and the tomatoes begin to burst. I’ve gone pretty long with these at room temperature (like 2 weeks) in a vac bag and they were absolutely delicious.
Once all the tomatoes have burst, they are good to strain. Discard the solids. All the liquid you get is the base for your Bloody Mary. Store it in the fridge and consume it ASAP. If you forget about it or don’t want to drink it anymore, poach some fish or chicken in it with a dab of butter… it’s unbelievably good.
BRAD’S ZA’ATAR
Makes about 1 cup
INGREDIENTS
| 1/2 cup dried oregano
1/2 cup dried thyme 1/2 cup dried marjoram 1/4 cup ground sumac | 5 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
1 tsp. toasted coriander seed, ground 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil 1 Tbsp. kosher salt (optional) |
Mix all the ingredients together in a medium bowl. Store in an airtight container for up to a few weeks. Sprinkle over everything!
Excerpted from FIELD NOTES FOR FOOD ADVENTURE by Brad Leone. Copyright © 2021 from Voracious Books, an imprint of Hachette Book Group.
Come along with Brad Leone as he explores forests, fields, rivers, and the ocean in the hunt for great food and good times. These pages are Brad’s field notes from a year of adventures in the Northeast, getting out into nature to discover its bounty, and capturing memorable ideas for making delicious magic at home anytime.
He taps maple trees to make syrup, and shows how to use it in surprising ways. He forages for ramps and mushrooms, and preserves their flavors for seasons to come. He celebrates the glory of tomatoes along with undersung fruits of the sea like squid and seaweed. Inspiration comes from hikes into the woods, trips to the dock, and cooking poolside in the dead of summer. And every dish has a signature Brad Leone approach—whether that’s in Sous Vide Mountain Ribs or Spicy Smoked Tomato Chicken, Sumac Lemonade or Fermented Bloody Marys, Cold Root Salad, Marinated Beans, or just a few shakes of a Chile Hot Sauce that’s dead simple to make.
This is a book about experimentation, adventure, fermentation, fire, and having fun while you’re cooking. And hey, you might just learn a thing or two. Let’s get going!