SAVORY SPICE SHOP

  Years ago, I moved beyond my mom’s canned green beans and saved up for some Grey sea salt imported from France,  cooked up some pitiful little green beans from the first garden I ever tried to grow, and spiked those beans with the only herb growing in my “herb garden”, some tarragon,  --and it was THE BEST THING EVER COOKED since man invented fire.  To me, anyway.
Since that first little epicurean steps, I’ve always loved to try new seasonings and was overjoyed when my dad read in the paper about Savory Spice Shop right here in Boulder.
 


Owner Janet Johnston now has her own show on the Food Network and her shop specialises in herbs, spices and seasonings milled and ground fresh on a weekly basis to ensure the best flavour.     Needless to say, we headed straight over to check out a few of the wares. 
I think every city, town, and hamlet should have a spice shop. Spices are a great way to expand your palate and make inexpensive or simple foods more exciting.   The heady smell of fresh ground spices is totally unlike the vague, desiccated smells that come out of some store-brand jars.  Cinnamon from Ceylon, Jamaican allspice, curry blends with kefir lime and galangal, cloves and cardamom, pure maple sugar, Himalayan salt;  you name it, and it’s here.  Another specialty are house BLENDS of seasoning  such as Mayan cocoa with vanilla bean and chilies, seasoning salt mixes and a deluxe Taco Seasoning that makes the puny little packet of over-salted junk in the store seem like floor sweepings.  Now this is a fragrant, glorious taco seasoning : Masa Harina, salt, chiles, tomato powder, garlic, cumin, California paprika, onion, white sugar, Mexican oregano and allspice.

  They have little jars set out so you can taste (or sniff) the different spices and seasonings and spices are all available to be purchased in bulk or in starter bottles at reasonable prices.

We purchased some:

GRAND GARLIC SALT:  a blend of garlic powders, roasted garlic, salt and minced green onions

MOUNT OLYMPUS GREEK STYLE SEASONING:  a perfect blend of garlic, lemon peel, salt, Greek oregano, spearmint, and black pepper

PASTA SPRINKLE:   European basil, Mediterranean thyme, Greek oregano, California basil and garlic
and
TARRAGON SHALLOT CITRUS SEASONING (not vegan, it has honey powder)  containing:  shallots, honey powder, tarragon, lemon peel, garlic, salt, black pepper, arrowroot and citric acid.

I made some steamed green beans to go with the tarragon shallot seasoning, some pasta with pureed basil, broth, roasted garlic and “pasta sprinkle”  - as well as some sautéed fresh veggies with minced garlic, Grand Garlic Salt, and Pasta Sprinkle and a salad of cucumbers, roasted red peppers and kalamata olives with white wine vinegar, olive oil, and the Greek seasonings… it was AMAZINGLY good;  cheap easy “had on hands” eats transformed by wonderful spices.

 
Love, B