Sunday, January 24, 2010

Balsamic Bliss

It takes a lot to get me excited, even when it comes to food. But at this weekend's Good Earth Home, Garden, & Living Show at the Lane County Fairgrounds, along with everything having to do with sustainable living, there was an entire pavilion dedicated to food and beverages. I had no trouble grazing my way through the exhibit hall, stopping to indulge in Turtle Mountain's full line of coconut milk beverages, ice cream, yogurt, and kefir, Theo Chocolates' dark chocolate bars (the Ginger Rose bar is intoxicating), and Klickitat Canyon Organic Wines. But my favorite new find has to be Bistro Blends' line of barrel-aged balsamic vinegars. There are five flavors to choose from, one more sensational than the next: Heirloom, Very-Berry Strawberry, Raspberry, Blackberry, and Black Mission Fig.


I couldn't resist coming away with one bottle each of the blackberry and fig flavors. Are they pricey? Well, yes, I'm not gonna lie. At $12 for a 6-oz bottle, (apparently, these smaller bottles are a show special), they're certainly not cheap. But they are worth every penny for such an extraordinary culinary indulgence. The blackberry flavor is deeply rich and fruity, and the black mission fig with just a hint of vanilla, tastes indescribably fragrant.

Even after sampling to my heart's content at Bistro Blends' show booth, I couldn't wait to get home and break into a bottle with Mark. He chose the blackberry, which we enjoyed with a fresh loaf of ciabatta I also picked up at the show.


How exciting to find something so tantalizingly delicious to enjoy as part of a low-fat vegan diet. Both of these vinegars will be amazing drizzled over fresh fruit, salad, and Purely Decadent vanilla ice cream. And I look forward to exploring all of the other ways I can come up with to enjoy them. I'm already imagining the amazing cole slaw the blackberry flavor will make! Stay tuned for the recipe ...

And here's some exciting news: Bistro Blends will be back in Eugene at the Lane County Home & Garden Show on March 11th through the 14th. Mention that you read about them in my blog, and they'll extend a discount to you!

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have always loved balsamic vinegar, and these sound amazing. I am going to order a bottle of the blackberry on your recommendation. Thanks, as always for sharing your terrific food discoveries.

jessicavegan said...

Oh, lordie, those ginger rose chocolate bars sound amazing. I think I'm gonna leave your blog as a hint to my boyfriend to get me some of the blackberry vinegar and some of those chocolate bars. And dare I say, I think they might be delicious together?

Ralph said...

These sound perfect for bruschetta! I think I'll try the heirloom and fig varieties. Thanks for this post!

Amanda said...

Slather me in black mission fig balsamic vinegar. I'm ready.

The Vegan said...

Wow, those do sound delicious and I love a good balsamic. I wish I had some.

How come I am always hungry after reading your blog???

Joey Garland said...

Best Balsamic Ever!!!

Justine said...

These vinegars sound absolutely decadent. And one can never have too much decadence, I always say.

Irene said...

I love their olive oils. I'll bet their balsamic vinegars are amazing, too!

Helen said...

Oh my, these do sound divine!

Gabriella said...

And they make olive oil, too? Their olive/truffle oil and black mission fig balsamic sounds like it would make the best bruschetta ever!