Vegetables are the Cure

We explored using salumi to cure fish and other meats. In the same vein, these well-rounded, highly seasoned meats may be used in different forms to flavor vegetables: powdered, as a marinade, and as an accompaniment in a composition. (Really, who sells plain salad anymore?) Now flip the idea. Let’s start using just-picked, seasonal vegetables to infuse and/or cure fish and meat. We have often worked with herbs and spices, although the vegetables themselves are sometimes overlooked. What about a carrot and cardamom-cured kampachi, a celery-seasoned salmon, or a turnip-infused trout? These particular examples are aquatic in nature; meats from rabbit to venison would also work well using this approach. If we start looking at how we season the vegetables with miso or spices to harmonize the flavors, we can then use the combinations with different proteins, which in turn creates a layered dish that allows for a blend of subtle and bold flavor profiles. Vegetables may occasionally be an afterthought, but by allowing them to be part of the foundation of a dish, we are able to build something truly delicious from the ground up.