SFist In The Kitchen: Dried Mandarins

Organic satsuma oranges made for a nice snack as we shopped at Tuesday's Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market, but we thought we'd mention the dried mandarins at Everything Under the Sun's [PDF] stall. These brittle, bitter wheels aren't exactly an accessible snack on their own, but a moment in our spice grinder turned them into a flavorful powder with a multitude of uses.

We particularly liked this dust as a coating for Cointreau-flavored chocolate truffles, but we also enjoyed combining the Tang-colored spice with cayenne pepper to make a rub for seared ahi tuna, which we washed down with a bottle of North Coast Brewing Company's creamy Pranqster. We suspect the powder would work marvelously in scones or pancakes, but you should make some and send them to us so we can be sure. Lines and piles and sprinklings of flavorful dusts make frequent appearances as garnishes at The French Laundry, so don't forget about these dried mandarins when you want to serve a frou-frou dish.

Photos by Derrick Schneider.

The company's name implies a certain drying technique, but cloudy skies and rainy days force owner Bill Crepps and his small staff to use a dehydrator with winter produce like oranges and kiwis. Crepps firmly believes in sustainable, organic agriculture, so you know the concentrated flavors in these fruits don't come with equally concentrated pesticides. The stand has a number of interesting products, including a "sampler" pack that will give you a little taste of everything.

We always recommend grinding spices at the last minute to preserve the fresh taste, but it's particularly important with these dehydrated oranges, which could suck moisture from a desert. If the dust clumps, a quick trip through a sieve will loosen it up again.