New flavors

As a result of the French Laundry extravaganza, I've discovered a couple of flavors that I refuse to do without in the future.

One is chive oil:



and the other is tomato confit:



I refer to these as "flavors" because they are not meant to be eaten for bulk/fullness, but to add a dimension to your dishes.

Chive oil instead of olive oil in a mixed herb salad w/ a small drizzle of balsamic vinegar (bonus points for teeny buffalo mozzarella and proscuitto) brings a subdued brightness to the party, as Alton Brown might say. I drizzled some on my baby asparagus last night, and man, was it good.

As for the tomato confit, it is a pain because it takes a while to prep then partially dehydrate/concentrate in the oven, but it's worth it. At least, to me. I've had fresh tomatoes, cooked tomatoes, canned tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, and this is now my favorite way to eat tomatoes. Mmmm. It's not too different from a halfway point between regular tomatoes and sundried tomatoes in olive oil, both of which I love, but I think I love how it balances out between the two extremes.