Food Find: Salt + Time

I'm guilty of not posting lately. Sorry to be absent. I don't want to slide into the realm of TMI, but suffice it to say that I've been unraveling the mystery that is my digestive system for awhile and haven't been eating or cooking much. But I have been experimenting with some new things that I'll share as soon as I can get the recipes where I want them. Until then, I've been trying out some new food finds in Austin.

Last weekend, we went to the Hope Farmers Market in East Austin in search of some grassfed beef that my soon-to-be-backpacking husband wants to make into jerky for his upcoming trip. (The adventures of jerky-making, coming soon!) While we were there, we ran across a new vendor, Salt + Time from Niederwald. They make salumi, pickles, relishes and jam. We picked up some of their Tuscano salumi, pancetta, and their smoked pimento chile sauce — a taste sensation. I love this sauce. They told us they smoke fresh pimento peppers (they even showed us one) and then blend it into this smooth, intriguing sauce. It's just the right amount of smokiness with a little zing, but it isn't spicy hot.

I'm usually a mustard girl, but we tried it with the porky goodness of their salumi and it made the perfect accompaniment. We also put some of the sauce on some shredded roast chicken. It was so good, I stood at the counter eating it before I could pop it into a corn tortilla for a quick dinner. I think this sauce would also be a great match with a big bowl of beans and cornbread. Now I wish I'd gotten two of those bottles.

Find Salt + Time on Sundays at the Hope Farmers Market in East Austin. And check out their blog too.