New products from Rancho Gordo (banana vinegar and more)

[Jaymes]

Has anyone else tried the Banana Vinegar and piloncillo thing? If so, what did you think?

[Chris Amirault]

Should arrive this week, and I'll report back when it does. Wondering about a pineapple shrub...

[rancho_gordo]

Vanilla ice cream with a dousing of piloncillo/banana vinegar sauce.

And a Milano cookie.

[Chris Amirault]

Folks, that sugar is one of the most amazing things I've ever had. Just started a topic on it in Spirits & Cocktails to declare it an essential ingredient for anyone who takes cocktails seriously.

At some point I'll mix it with that tasty banana vinegar, but for now it's seeing tequila and rum only.

Oh my goodness me. Buy it.

[AnneN]

I just ordered some from Amazon. I already have the banana vinegar. I bought caramel vanilla ice cream to use it with. I figure it will be a little like bananas foster.

[Chris Hennes]

Yay, my box just arrived, containing among other things the vinegar and piloncillo. That vinegar is fascinating stuff: besides the ice cream topping thing, what else can I do with it?

[rancho_gordo]

Ceviche is my favorite. But I also make a marinade with olive oil, the banana vinegar, garlic and the oregano indio. It's great over a pork tenderloin. I've also used it on chicken thighs and then cooked them pressed in a clay mattone from Italy.

[chriscook]

That vinegar is fascinating stuff: besides the ice cream topping thing, what else can I do with it?

I made a sauce from it for some profiteroles last week. A sort of banana vinaigrette. I mixed the vinegar and piloncillo together then whisked in some softened butter, a little vanilla and a bit of salt. Really tasty.

[tsquare]

Rancho G,

You mentioned the terrible lack of diversity in the bananas imported for our delight. Did you know about the banana ranch (?) in Santa Barbara? Well, Ventura - the Seaside Banana Gardens. 50 varieties, organically grown. Looks like it closed in 1996 and was developed into housing? How sad. Thanks for the memory.

[peterm2]

I never got to go there, but I heard it got wiped out in a mudslide. I believe the guy who started it was doing smaller-scale stuff further north, with some landscape design too.

[Chris Amirault]

Made a very simple golden beet greens sauté tonight that I finished off with the banana vinegar and served with the roasted beets that had some Jean Georges Vongerichen-style chili oil I made from the Modern Cuisine book. Just fantastic.

[OliverB]

Nice article on Steve and Rancho Gordo:

Napa heirloom bean venture changes lives in Mexico

Great job!

[Jaymes]

Nice article on Steve and Rancho Gordo:

Napa heirloom bean venture changes lives in Mexico

Great job!

That is so wonderful on so many levels. "Great job!" indeed.

[Chris Amirault]

Two more tasty uses for the vinegar and piloncillo: SV pineapple core "noodles" and the aforementioned pineapple shrub.

[Kouign Aman]

This place was awesome:

Ventura - the Seaside Banana Gardens. 50 varieties, organically grown

banana vinegar ceviche - oh my.

Have a friend who loves ceviche. I've never made it.

Can you provide hints of proportions, etc?

It would be a lovely surprise gift.