Living Rawesome

Day #256 Saffron Avgolemono, Portobello “Meatballs,” Oregano Cream, and Lemon Balm pg. 97 entertaining in the raw

April 5, 2010

The Complete Meal was served tonight for our dinner. I decided to make some of the oregano cream without agave and it was my favorite cream yet. This meal was not like any meal I have ever had before. The saffron avgolemono was a bit too watery for me, but “meatballs” were over the top again and the cream was an exquisite addition to them.

Saffron comes from little threads at the center of a small purple Crocus, where the pollen catches and develops. There are three threads per flower, which are hand-picked and then dried. That, and the fact that it takes over 13,000 threads to make an ounce is why saffron is the world’s most expensive spice. Saffron has such a pungent, spicy flavor, that it takes only a small amount to add flavor and color to a dish, so you don’t need that much for the dishes you make.

This is the Crocus flower that saffron comes from. Each flower produces 3 saffron threads, which must be harvested delicately by hand and dried. Itakes over 13,000 threads to make one ounce!!!

This is the saffron avgolemono I made this evening. It has tint of yellow from the saffron, but it is very pale.

Avgolemono means “egg-lemon” in Greek. Avgolemono soup is a Greek soup that is served hot or cold and served as an appetizer or meal. It usually has a creamy texture that is formed from cooking the eggs. The stock of the soup is generally chicken-stock. When it is made correctly it has a creamy citrus flavor.

This recipe was neither creamy or citrus in flavor, although the soup was interesting and different, I don’t think I will make the soup again. I will definitely make the cream again and as you know I have already made the “meatballs” before.

Avgolemono Ingredients
jicama
cashews
lemon
lemon zest
olive oil
salt
saffron
water

Saffron was dissolved in warm water and then added to other ingredients in Vita-Mix and blended until smooth. We served it at room temperature because we didn’t want to wait.

“Employ your time in improving yourself by other men’s writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have labored hard for”. ~Socrates