Chili Lime Salt and Lemon Rosemary Salt

I’ve begun to realize that I have an obsession with salt, salt of every flavor and variety. I don’t heavily salt my food but I do enjoy the briny taste of salt when it hits my taste buds. I’ve always had a preference for salt over sweet, and if I have a sweet I love a touch of salt with it. That doesn’t make me obsessive, however a quick inventory of my pantry and one would agree that I have a problem…

I have at this very moment:

1. Iodized table salt
2. Coarse sea salt for grinding
3. Kosher salt
4. Truffle salt
5. Celery salt
6. “Real salt” from the Salt Lake
7. Black Magic seasoning salt (that’s my house blend)
8. Cabernet salt
9. Hawiian Black Lava salt
10. Sel Gris
11. Fleur de Sel
12. Smoked Sea Salt
13. Aromat (a seasoned salt I bought in South Africa)
14. Margarita salt…hey I’m counting it all
15. Old Bay rim salt (another of my concoctions
16. Rock salt…okay, so maybe that shouldn’t count

Freakin ridiculous right! Given my obsession with salt, and I think we can all agree that it is an obsession, it’s no wonder that when I got my Secret Recipe Club assignment Bklyn Locavore I immediately honed in on the Chili Lime Salt. ‘nough said you knew I’d be a gonner! Plus I’m already thinking of Christmas gifts I can make (I continue year after year to fantasize that I will start early…)

While perusing the blog I really have to admire Melissa and her commitment to eating local. And I really like the fact that eating local is more important to her than purchasing organic. Plus Melissa has a practical approach, realizing that she can’t possibly live without coffee and olive oil. And she wouldn’t turn down going out to eat in a restaurant that doesn’t necessarily serve only local food, I love how she is realistic about life and just does the best she can! Eating all local is easier if you live in California but for those of us who don’t…well, we would be mal-nourished if we didn’t make some concessions.

Melissa I didn’t go local with the Chili Lime Salt. Limes, salt and chili’s aren’t native to Montana…however, this year I’m growing some chili’s and plan on drying them for salt making. After reading through the post Melissa suggested some other fab salt ideas which gave me the idea to use something I did grow myself and dried, it seemed only right based on Melissa’s passion for local food. Although I have a lemon tree in my house, it didn’t have a ripe lemon to choose from so I used a purchased lemon. But I did use some dried rosemary that I grew myself. Hooray! So I’m giving you two salt recipes.

Son now I have 17 different edible salts in my home…is there a therapy group for gourmet salt addictions?

I see in my future a Thai salt with Thai basil and Chili’s (I’m attempting to grow both in my garden) and maybe a cucumber salt (that will take a little more thought).

Melissa, thanks for fueling my salt obsession…watch out friends and family you may be seeing salt this and that at Christmas time.

I also have a post over at Pig of the Month if you’d like to check it out, it’s for an Apple salad with spicy candied pecans, it has my famous (in Great Falls anyways) apple cider vinaigrette recipe which I’ve never published before and is much coveted.

I’d like to thank Debbi for doing the linky for me, I’m up at the cabin right now enjoying some much needed time off!