Capers

Today’s dinner is Salmon with Tomato Capers. The capers together with the tomatoes, onion and garlic adds a wonderful mix of a tangy and savory flavor to this dish.

Capers are the unopened green flower buds of the Capparis spinosa (Capparidaceae - caper family - closely related to the cabbage family), a wild and cultivated bush that is grown mainly in Mediterranean countries (southern France, Italy, and Algeria) and also in California. Capers have long been a favorite in the Mediterranean region. The small, green herb buds lend a piquant sour and salty flavor to salads, dressings, sauces, vegetables and a variety of main dishes.

After the buds are harvested, they are dried in the sun, then pickled in vinegar, brine, wine or salt.The curing brings out their tangy lemony flavor, much the same as green olives.Capers can range in size from that of a tiny peppercorn (the petite variety from southern France, considered the finest) to some as large as the tip of your little finger (from Italy).  Larger capers are stronger in flavor and less aromatic.