When you first taste a caper you might imagine yourself in the warm salty air on a high rocky cliff overlooking the Mediterranean, the scent of wild thyme and lavender wafting in the breeze. Given the current state of the economy, it’s nice to have a flavor that can transport you when you can’t afford an all-inclusive Mediterranean vacation! Capers’ distinct flavor invokes the vibrant sea and sun of their Mediterranean home, and they are the perfect accompaniment to your favorite summer flavors.

The unopened flower buds of a spiny shrub that grows wild on rocky seaside cliffs, capers are sun dried at harvest and then pickled in brine or cured with sea salt. Capers have a tangy, piquant flavor imparted by mustard oil present in the plant that is released when the capers are processed. Capers range in size from the tiny 7 millimeter “nonpareils” to large (16 millimeter), less flavorful “communes.” In general the smaller the capers, the more flavorful and aromatic they are.

Capers have dozens of uses, one of our favorites of which is the pizza Siciliana, also affectionately known as “The Salt Lick”: tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella or scamorza, capers, anchovies and black olives. Delicious with any type of seafood, capers are particularly yummy atop a bagel with lox, red onion, tomato and a schmear. Stir some capers into mayonnaise with a bit of lemon juice and fresh tarragon for a super quick and elegant fish accompaniment. For a salty-licious garnish on salad or grilled asparagus, fry capers in a bit of olive oil until they turn golden and start to open, then drain on paper towels. With a jar of these cool buds in your pantry, tasty summer cooking adventures are only a few capers away!

Order capers from:
http://www.buonitalia.com/
http://www.spanishtable.com/
http://www.levillage.com/