Virginia's Kitchen by GINNIE MANUEL

Is Your Kitchen Going to Seed? You’ll Grow Fond of These Flavors

When you plant some culinary seeds in your cooking repertoire, you’ll reap a harvest of new textures and unique flavors.
Broadly speaking, seeds are considered part of the spice family, but more specifically, they are the dried whole fruits—or seeds—of various aromatic plants which thrive in temperate climates. This explains why seeds appear in the cuisines of Africa, the Middle East and even the Mediterranean. In fact, most varieties were first cultivated by the earliest civilizations to settle in those regions. These ancient cultures valued seeds not just for cooking purposes but also for medicinal and cosmetic uses.
Since ground versions of most seeds are readily available, you might wonder why you should buy the whole ones instead. The principal reason is the more intense flavor and distinctive texture that the latter impart. To prove our point, here are four recipes that use various seeds to their tastiest advantage.

Sesame Cookies

The sesame seed was introduced to this country by African slaves, and in the Low Country of South Carolina it is still referred to as benne seed. These delicate cookies are a Charleston specialty.

¾ cup sesame seeds
½ cup softened butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Spread sesame seeds on a pie pan and toast in a 275-degree oven until they are pale amber, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
In a medium bowl, with mixer on medium, cream the butter until fluffy. Add the sugar and beat until light. Beat in the egg. Sift the flour and salt together and stir into the creamed mixture, along with sesame seeds and vanilla. Drop dough by half-teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheets, leaving at least 2 inches between each mound of dough. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, or until the cookies are a rich caramel color. Cool on wire racks. Makes about 5 dozen.

Caraway Spoon Bread

The caraway seed, a member of the parsley family, has a strong, somewhat sweet taste. This pudding-like bread goes well with any soup, stew or chili.

3 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup yellow or white cornmeal
1/3 cup wheat germ
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1½ teaspoons baking powder

In a medium saucepan, slowly heat the milk just to the boiling point, and add the salt. Gradually add the cornmeal, stirring constantly to keep lumps from forming. Continue cooking and stirring until the mixture thickens—about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, and stir in the next 3 ingredients. Slowly add the eggs, mixing until well blended. Stir in the cheese and baking powder. Turn into a greased 1½-quart casserole and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Spoon out each serving, and accompany with melted butter. Serves 6 to 8.

Roast Pork Loin with Coriander

Another member of the parsley family is the coriander seed, which has a slightly lemony flavor. It is said that ancient Greeks and Romans added it to love potions!

¼ cup coriander seeds
¾ cup fresh bread crumbs
2 large garlic cloves
½ teaspoon salt
4 to 6 tablespoons olive oil
1 (3-pound) boneless pork loin
Freshly ground pepper to taste
½ cup water

Place the coriander seeds in the container of a food processor, and process until crushed. Add the bread crumbs and garlic and process until combined. With the motor still running, add the salt and enough olive oil to bind the mixture together into a fairly firm paste. Place the pork on a rack in a roasting pan, and season with pepper. Press the breadcrumb mixture over the top and ends of meat, also pressing it as far down the sides as you can. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the pork, and roast in a 400-degree oven for 2 hours, or until thermometer registers 165 degrees. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Meanwhile, add water to the roasting pan, and bring to boiling on top of the stove, stirring to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Simmer until the sauce is dark and thickened. Serve over slices of pork. Serves 4 to 6.

Roasted Red Pepper Dip

This colorful southwestern dip owes its zesty flavor to cumin seeds, which also belong to the parsley family. Tortilla or pita chips make a perfect accompaniment.

3 large red bell peppers, seeded and halved
8 garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 medium tomatoes
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
¼ to ½ teaspoon dried red
pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil

Place the pepper halves, skin side up, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Also place the whole unpeeled garlic cloves on the same sheet. Roast at 500 degrees for 20 minutes, or until the pepper skins are charred and the garlic is soft; turn garlic cloves once during baking. Remove from the baking sheet and set aside to cool.
Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees and place the tomatoes and cumin seeds on the same baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
Peel the peppers, cut into chunks, and place in the container of a food processor. Slip the garlic cloves out of their skin, and add to the food processor. Peel the tomatoes, cut in quarters, and add to food processor, along with cumin seeds and the next 4 ingredients. Puree until smooth. With the motor still running, gradually add the olive oil through the feed tube. Transfer mixture to a bowl, cover and refrigerate until needed. Serve at room temperature. Makes about 2 cups.

Ginnie Manuel is a Midlothian-based freelance writer and cookbook editor whose food columns have appeared in The Washington Post, Baltimore Sun, Columbia (MD) Flier and the Mid-York Weekly Pennysavers.

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