The dish I prepared for this week is inspired by salt.

“And you shall salt every one of your meal offering sacrifices with salt, and you shall not omit the salt of your G‑d’s covenant from [being placed] upon your meal offerings. You shall offer salt on all your sacrifices.” (Leviticus 2:13)

Yes, salt was used for sacrifices and is part of the process of koshering meat. But, as a vegetarian, I have a multitude of uses for salts from beans to grains to salads.

Ingredients

  • 1 medium lemon
  • 2 heaping tbsp. salt (try to use a coarse salt)

Directions:

  1. Peel the lemon and remove the white pith. Save the fruit and juice for another use.
  2. Leave the peel in a sunny spot to dry out for at least a day. If you don’t have time, place on a tray and put in a toaster oven. “Bake” until dried out, approximately 10 minutes. Be careful because smaller pieces can burn easily. It’s fine if the fruit skin turns slightly brown it actually adds a delicious flavor.
  3. Place the rind in a blender and turn on high. Blend until finely ground (time will vary on the strength of your blade). You might have to scrap the sides to ensure uniformity of sizes. Enjoy the wonderful aroma as you blend.
  4. Add the salt to the ground rind and blend for 10-15 seconds to mix together well.
  5. Pour into a jar and keep in a cool, dry place for use. The flavor and scent of the lemon reduces after a couple of months, so it’s best to enjoy while fresh.

Note: Instead of the lemon that I used in this recipe, you can try other ingredients such as orange rind, rosemary or lavender.