Photo: Claire Lower
I recently got into a lot of research into the different freeze dried vegetables available at Trader Joe’s. Structurally, they’re just a lot of fun, especially when you’re around a changed state This allows you to appreciate different textures even more than usual.
I especially like the Crispy Onion Chips – whole petals of airy, crispy onions that taste the way a Funyun wants to be when they grow up. I dipped them in sour cream and sprinkled some fried garlic chunks (and a little MSG) on top, and wow – what a snack. These chips are a paradigm shift for sour cream and onion as a genre, a genre I assumed was pretty exhausted.
But beyond snacking, all of the dried vegetables you can buy at TJ’s (and other health food stores or adjoining health food stores) can be used to make tasty powdered vegetables. We’ve already talked about fruit powders and their ability to add vibrant color and fruity flavor immersed, beverages, and Garnish cake, and the vegetable powders work similarly, if not exactly the same.
For example, I wouldn’t add the mushroom powder you see above to a buttercream, but I would have (and have!) Added it to mashed potatoes and it was lovely. I could also imagine adding it to meatloaf and meatballs. Last night I sprinkled a combination of all three powders – onion, mushroom, and green pea – on a cucumber and tomato salad, and I’ll do it again!
Each powder brings its own unique flavors to the plate. The mushroom is earthy, the onion intensely onion and the green pea light and horticultural. Everything would work fine in dips, but the onion would stand out; and green peas would make a fun Bloody Mary glass rimmer, especially when mixed with a good amount of salt.
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Photo: Claire Lower
The process of making these powders is very easy. Buy freeze-dried vegetables (from Trader Joe or elsewhere), toss a handful in the food processor, and chop them into a powder. Mix the powder into dips, sprinkle it over salads (like you would with breadcrumbs), or mash it in some potatoes. A combination of mushrooms and onions would make a great pasta topper, especially if that pasta is random This one here.
