Marvelous Miso

In honour of Miso Day Celebration (yesterday - Sept 18th-was the first ever!) I wanted to share a couple of the less traditional dishes I use a drop of miso in for a delicious umami flavour:

The first (pictured here) is a seasoned mashed avocado-miso gives a delicious earthiness. Here I added some heirloom cherry tomatoes, scallion (spring onion), and a little roast garlic.

It also makes an incredible oil free garlic bread topping (mix roast garlic, miso, and a little whole grain dijon with some fresh herbs, spread on flat bread dough and bake away!)

Side note for both dishes-remember to pre-roast your garlic.
I find it easiest to run a bulb under water for a few seconds, then add it to whatever veggies you're cooking for around 20-30 minutes. The garlic should be squishy, and will keep in the fridge for up to a week allowing you to add to a multitude of dishes. The flavour is much milder, and the texture almost creamy.

Did you know there are a few different types of miso? Varieties include soy, chickpea, and barley. There are different colours to choose from too, from mellow white to burgundy barrel aged. Miso doesn't just make an incredible soup, it also gives an incredible earthiness to fruit based dishes such as crumbles, pies, and cake AND it keeps in the fridge for a year once opened!

If you haven't already, give this amazing ingredient a try and let me know what you discover.