Baby Ginger, gorgeous, exotic and delicious! Thanks to Alex and Betsy Hitt, farmers/ owners of Peregrine Farm and vendors at the Carrboro Farmers’ Market, you can stock up on this versatile root with its pale thin skin and mild, though distinctive sweet peppery flavor.   This will definitely be my new culinary love, as Betsy says they should have them available until December…ginger ale, ginger juice, pickled ginger, candied ginger, gingersnaps and gingerbread!  And, for this blog, Ginger-Tamari Sauce.


Betsy Hitt, with basket of ginger root

No time for baking, and frankly it is not my favorite form of cooking, I decided to make a simple sauce to dress up a salmon fillet.   In the fridge there was a bag of spicy arugula, purchased from John and Cindy at Eco Farm, that would provide the perfect bed for the fish and ginger-tamari concoction was developing in my mind.

Ingredients for Ginger- Tamari Sauce:
1 t extra virgin olive oil
2 T chopped green onion or shallot
1 T minced garlic
2T minced baby ginger
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
1 cup unsweetened orange juice
1/2 t Sriracha sauce
1 t fresh lime juice

Directions:
Heat oil, over medium-high heat, in medium saucepan.
Add onion, garlic and ginger.  Cook until onion is softened.  Don’t let the garlic get dark brown or burn.  It will become bitter and you’ll need to start over!
Add wine and cook until reduced and pan is almost dry.  About 3 to 5 minutes.
Mix in orange juice and tamari.  Bring to a low boil and let it cook about 5 minutes.
Taste, season with Sriracha and lime juice.  Taste again and adjust flavorings to you preference.
Cool.  Makes about 1½ cups.  Will keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Arugula.  So tender, I don’t even stem at all.  Though, do make sure you rinse several times as it tends to be sandy!  Dry in spinner.

Salmon.  Rub both sides lightly with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.  Grill or bake.

The dish.  Mound arugula in center of plate.  Drizzle with sauce, top with fish and spoon on however much ginger goodness you like!

The beverage.  White wine, or club soda, tinged with a coin of ginger and a slice of lime.

(Sauce recipe adapted from Chef Cary Neff)