Thrown together in a flash, requiring little or no cooking ....

Sherried Sardine Toast
This is something I might eat for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It is critical that the sardines be bristling (small) and that they be packed in oil. Smoked is okay too.


•1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
•¼ tsp fresh lemon zest, reserve the lemon
•2 tbsp fine chopped Italian parsley, divided
•Two tins 2-layer bristling sardines in olive oil
•Several grinds of pepper
•4 (½-inch ) slices of good crusty bread, anything from rye to sourdough
•1 ripe haas avocado
•Several grinds of pepper
•Coarse sea salt

Heat your oven to high broil.

Place the vinegar into a bowl along with the zest, half the parsley, and the pepper. Open the tins slightly, and drain the oil from the sardines into the bowl and whisk to combine. Set each slice of bread into the dressing so that one side is well coated.

When all are coated, place on a rack set in a half sheet pan and toast 3 inches from the broiler until golden brown and delicious.

Pit the avocado and spoon out the flesh...smear it on the toasted bread like butter and top with the sardines, using the tines of a fork to really mash it into the bread. Pour any remaining dressing over the sardines, sprinkle with the remaining parsley

Top with sea salt.

Devour.

Brush teeth.

verjuice
[VER-joos, Fr , . vehr-ZHOO]
An acidic, sour liquid made from unripe fruit, primarily grapes. Verjuice is used in preparations like sauces and mustards to heighten flavor, much as lemon juice or vinegar would be employed. Not widely used since medieval and Renaissance times, verjuice is now enjoying a comeback in many dishes. Though it is occasionally available in specialty gourmet shops, verjuice is extremely difficult to find in the United States.

If I see it on sale in a fancy shop I'd be tempted to pick some up - though I shouldn't - I AM trying to tidy up that particular corner of my kitchen life.

Verjuice Verjuice is the acidic juice pressed from unripe fruit, primarily grapes, but also other sour fruit such as green apples, crab apples, cooking apples and even plums. The name derives from the Old French 'vertjus' meaning 'green juice' and was common in Medieval and Elizabethan cookery. These days verjuice can be bought commercially, but one part cider vinegar, one part water with a dash of lemon and lime juice also makes an acceptable substitute.