at this moment, wes and i are currently weaving our way through thursday afternoon traffic in los angeles on our way out of town for the long weekend. i'll just let you digest that for a moment. 

but it will all be worth it since we are en route to south lake tahoe with friends for some much needed rest, relaxation and rejuvenation.

of course, it would not be a weekend away if there wasn't a wee bit of cooking. so i brought these "poor man's capers" with me to work on some recipes.

nasturtiums are going to seed all around us and i HATE letting things go to waste. i already dried plenty of seeds for next years garden and i still have hoards. i also hate buying pricy capers. so i am killing two birds with one jar of pickled nasturtium seeds. 

no nasturtiums around you?! come pick some up from my house! 

pickled nasturtium seeds

yields: 1 cup

prep time: 48 hours

active time: 3 minutes 

inactive time: 1 hour

total time: 2 days

ingredients: 1 cup nasturtium seeds. 2 cups water. 1 tbs kosher salt. .25 cup white vinegar. .25 cup apple cider vinegar. 1 tsp white sugar. 1 tbs pickling spice. 6-8oz mason jar.

start by rinsing all your seeds making sure to remove any petal or dirt residue.

place the seeds in a bowl with the water and salt and allow them to soak in the fridge for two days.

when you are ready to finish up your "capers" drain them from the water.

place the seeds in the jar with the pickling spice and sugar.

combine your vinegars and pour them over the seeds filling up the jar. 

close the lid and shake well to combine. allow them to pickle for at least an hour before enjoying but they will just improve with time.  use immediately or store in the fridge for up to 3 months.  

xo, a

now i know that I have already touched briefly on the amazingness of the micro plane. sure it is great for lemon zest, but it has some other really great (and important) uses. if you don't yet have one of these handy guys you can purchase one HERE. 

i know what you are thinking... why on earth do i need this wand of grating magic when i already have a grater?

here is why. the ridges of the micro plane are a bit sharper and more defined making it optimal for not only harder cheeses, but also for citrus, garlic, ginger and cucumbers. and that's just what i have come up with so far. 

when i'm looking for just a bit of cucumber juice for a cocktail or for some shredded cucumber for some dip or baking, the micro plane is the tool for the job. 

we know it's a perfection for zesting citrus. that citrus zest can be used in pretty much anything. from meat marinades, to salad dressing, to cakes. you are only limited by your imagination. 

the micro plane is ideal for fine grating hard cheeses. if you want that beautiful, snow looking parmesan or pecorino, you NEED the micro plane. 

i love finely grated ginger and ginger juice is AMAZING for you but oh so hard to chop up. using your micro plane creates that fine ginger great for marinades, sauces and juices that you can't achieve any other way. the micro plane separates the good root from the fibrous bits. 

the micro plane works just as well when you want really fine garlic.

and i know what you are thinking. they must have paid her to say this! nope. i just can't live with out my micro plane and you NEED this kitchen game-changer. 

xo, a