THE CHINESE HERB GARDEN - Growing Chinese Vegetables in Your Own Backyard - page 152

• Add to stir-fry dishes.
• Sprinkle on boiled carrots or beets.
• Press into pie crust for a peach pie.
HOW TO TOAST SESAME SEEDS
Most cookbooks tell you to toast sesame seeds in a frying pan over medium heat until
the seeds start to jump like popcorn. I don't like this method because you have to keep
shaking the pan and stirring the seeds to keep them from burning. I prefer the follow-
ing method.
1. Put them in a single layer on a cookie sheet in a low oven (200°F to 250°F).
2. Toast for 3 to 5 minutes until golden brown. Keep a sharp eye on them so that they
don't burn.
3. Leave them on the sheet to cool.
4. When completely cool, store in a spice jar or other tight container.
Note: Don't toast them all; the raw seeds are delicious and useful, and they keep indef-
initely.
TAHINI . It's easy to grind sesame seeds into tahini, a paste something like peanut butter,
only much more delicate. Tahini lends itself to a wide variety of uses in salad dress-
ings, candies, pastries, casseroles, and so forth. You can make tahini in the blender with
the addition of a little sesame oil (the same way you make homemade peanut butter),
or purchase a Japanese grinder designed for this purpose that is made of plastic and
easy to clean and store.
TOASTED OIL . A few tablespoons of this flavorful oil added in the Chinese manner at
the end of a stir-fry or sauté dish impart a delightfully nutty flavor to the entire con-
tents. Used in braising delicate vegetables such as fennel, Belgian endive, or even cel-
ery, it creates a company dish in just a few minutes of cooking.
SESAME PLANT LEAVES . The plant is edible in many stages:
• When young, the leaves can be gathered and used sparingly in tossed salads.
• Simmer leaves until tender and season with a few drops of soy sauce and sesame
oil.