Weekend Herb Blogging #126- Bloggers Unite!
I can’t believe it was over 6 months ago that I contacted Kalyn of Kalyn’s Kitchen (founder of WHB), offering to host WHB. My blog, The Houndstooth Gourmet, was just beginning and the interim has brought me much experience with cooking, baking, writing and photography. I feel as though I’ve learned so much, and have been inspired by other bloggers, writers and photographers, to set the bar higher and higher.
This week, so many terrific recipes and photos have come to me. I have discovered new blogs and been amazed at the array of food I’ve seen. From early asparagus in France, to ridge gourd in Bangalore, India.
Here we go!
To the top of the list is another great entry which I missed (many entries went into my trash folder and didn’t get weeded out appropriately). Thanks Susan of Food Blogga, San Diego, California. Susan sends us Creamy Goat Cheese and Beet Green Pasta. One of the many wonderful things that I have discovered since going to my farmers markets year round is just how good the greens on top of the vegetables are! Turnip greens are my current favorite. I only wish that my farmers would save the greens for me-lucky girl!
Warning-Mayjah food porn!!
I went to bed Sunday night perspiring a bit over whether or not I forgot someone in this terrific and well-attended WHB #126. Well, I did. In the spirt of “let the first be last and the last be first”, here’s Laurie’s entry from Mediterranean Cooking In Alaska. Mushroom Stifado & Mushroom, Pancetta and Feta Stifado are inspired by “nature’s seasons and religious fasting periods”, according to Laurie. Check out her post and get more insight into the history and traditions behind these dishes.
Bee and Jai from Jugalbandi, Northwestern U.S., made Baked Strawberries with Lavender and Rosemary. The strawberries became syrupy after cooking, and they reserved a bit for making strawberry lemonade. Very clever and delicious.
Pepy, from The Art and Science of Food, Winnepeg, MB, Canada, brings us Chinese Greens and Shrimp with Oyster and Hoisin Sauce. Be sure to check out the post for in-depth informatin about the greens which were used. The photography is stunning!
Lisa from Food and Spice, London, Ontario, made an aromatic Indian-Style Baked Eggs Florentine. I love the combination of flavors in this dish; corriander, tumeric, cheddar and more! Be sure to link to her creamed spinach recipe-this is where the flavors are at.
Ricki, from Diet, Dessert and Dogs, Toronto, Ontario, Canada brings us Quinoa Salad with Buckwheat and Cranberries. Ricki’s beautiful writing tells of his first encounter with quinoa and initial efforts making this nutritious grain. For the uninitiated, this post is incredibly informative and will make a believer out of anyone. Plus, the photo captures the dish perfectly.
From Divya Vikram of Dil Se…, Los Angelo, California, we have Palak Tofu. Garam masala, cumin seeds and green chilies make this dish sound spicy with a bit of heat. I think this recipe would be a great stepping stone for me to try tofu finally!
Next, Kevin from Closet Cooking, Toronto, Canada has entered Dolmades (Stuffed Grape Leaves). Kevin combines mint and dill, with ground beef and arborio rice to make a delicious stuffing for the grape leaves. The lemon sauce really puts it over the top for me!
Christine, of Christine Cooks, Trinidad, California bring us No Name Pan Sauteed Potatoes. Don’t let the name fool you; simply prepared perfectly browned potatoes garnshed with fresh parsley are absolutely delicious.
From our WHB founder, Kalyn of Kalyn’s Kitchen, Salt Lake City, Utah, we have Cabbage and Blue Cheese Salad with Sunflower Seeds. Kalyn tells us that sunflower seeds are considered one of the world’s healthiest foods, making this dish good and good for you.
Next, Srivalli from Cooking 4 All Seasons, India, brings us Ridge Gourd Stir-Fry. Not only does this recipe sound terrific with red chili powder, tumeric and corriander, but Srivalli’s can really tell a tale and you should not miss reading about the ridge gourd!
Purple carrots are so beautiful and in our next entry, Amy of Eggs on Sunday, Ithica, NY roasts them simply with thyme. Check out Amy’s simple method for Roasted Carrots with Thyme, and get a little history lesson about carrots to boot!
Erin of The Skinny Gourmet, Evanston, Illinois gives us a Basic Beans Recipe. Erin has found that the taste of fresh beans far exceeds canned bean, and they are actually quite easy to prepare. Once you feel confident cooking beans, you can add them to dishes from cuisines from around the globe. Check out her easy reipe featuring fresh Mexican oregano.
Our next entry is very interesting as it uses pine needles to flavor icing. Marija from Palachinka, Belgrade, Serbia made Orange Cupcakes with Green Pine Needles Frosting. Not only is the recipe easy to follow, but the cupcakes are photographed beautifully.
Pam from Sidewalk Shoes, Tennessee brings us a recipe that makes we want to get into my kitchen and cook. Beef and Bean Chili Verde gets a ton of flavor and some kick from the addition of green salsa. I have never added green salsa to chili before, but I’m inspired to try her recipe out. Of course, I would add cheese and a bit of sour cream on top! The photo alone makes me want to put a sliding board on the edge of that bowl and hop right in.
I am officially jealous of our next blogger who lives in the cradle of amazing and innovative food-Barcelona, Spain. Gattina from Kitchen Unplugged made a stunning Strawberry Cream Cake which radiates reds and pinks. Gattina’s easy recipe makes this cake approachable to novice bakers like me, and she even offers alternatives to strawberris. Check it out!
Mochochocolata-Rita, Hong Kong combines two of my favorite things-bananas and chocolate. Grilled Choco Bananas is an easy and quick recipe which gilds the lily at the end with a dusting of chocolate powder. How good is that!
A Scientist in the Kitchen’s Gay, Phillipines, bring us a mouthful of Filipino food; Lumpiang Puse Ng Saging. Wow! This Filipino “fajita” is filled with garlic and annatto goodness, but even more delicious is the sound of the dipping sauce with vinegar, fish sauce and roasted peanuts among other things.
Salak is snake fruit. Did you know that? I sure didn’t and here’s one of the best things about hosting WHB-you get to discover so many new things! Anna from Morsels & Musings, Sydney, Australia. Anna tells us how she discovered salak, and also that it tastes like pears and pineapples with a bit of tang. Sounds delicious. Thanks for sharing, Anna.
I hope everyone visits Swati at Chatkhor , Bangalore, India to see her Ridge Gourd in Poppy Seeds and Cashew Nut Gravy. Swati is new to food blogging and she’s really got talent. Her dish is spiced with red chili powder and corriander. Check out her recipe inspired by her aunt.
Genie, The Inadvertent Gardener , Iowa City, brings inspiration to gardeners like me who have seen a fare share of failures. Genie brings to WHB her Sauteed Swiss Chard and Spinach. Simple garlic, salt and pepper allows the greens to shine in this dish.
Next, Jennifer from Like To Cook, Cesseras, France gives us a dish which I have been patiently waiting to make; Sparkling Springtime Asparagus Risotto. With early spring asparagus (the best in my opinion), Jennifer makes this imaginative risotto with sparkling wine and freshly grated Pecorino-Romano cheese. I’ll be making this in a few weeks when the first asparagus appears at my local farmers markets.
Next up is Katie from Thyme For Cooking, Vendee, France. Katie’s theme this week is green garlic and she share’s her recipe for Shrimp in Green Sauce. “Green garlic is simply garlic that is pulled, and eaten young,before the bulb splits off into cloves”, Katie explains.
A big WHB welcome to Sarah of 1 Tsp Love, Washington D.C. For her first entry, Sarah shares a tempting and creamy Pasta Carbonara, which is garnished with fresh parsely. Great job, Sarah. More, more!!
Our next entry comes from Pam, of The Backyard Pizzeria, Victoria, Australia. Pam shared a simple preparation for flat beans with an herbed lime sauce called Beans n’ limes. Garlic, chives, parsely and dill make this bean dish sound herbally delicious!
Haalo, from Cook Almost Anything At Least Once highlights bananas as the featured herb. Banana, Hazelnut and Chocolate Chip Bread balances sweet bananas with dark chocolate in an easy to follow, few ingredients recipe. Great photos too-check it out!
Georgetta, from Weak Weary Mom, Southwest U.S. brings us Avacado Oatmeal Scrub. They say that when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Well, when Georgetta gets an inedible avacado, she makes beauty products! Clever.
The next WHB entry comes to us from Jeanne of Cook Sister!, London, U.K. Another one of my favorites and still very popular this time of year is kale. Jeanne’s recipe adds whole grain mustard, which I have never thought to do-but the combination is one I will try soon. Sauteed Curly Kale with Wholegrain Mustard is easy and nutritious. Jeanne also gives a nice history of kale, with a little Latin lesson thrown in for good measure!
Eve, of Inmolaraan, NY, NY, shares her vegan and gluten -free recipe for Hemp Seed Cookies. Hemp seeds, flax seeds and chickpea flour are intriguing ingredients for these “thumbprint” cookies.
Arfi from HomeMadeS, New Zealand shares a recipe for Tomatoes and Chilli Sauce. This sauce packs sweet heat with apples, cayenne pepper and paprika among other things. I think I’ve found a fantastic gift idea for the holidays. Thanks Arfi!
Finally, Susan of Farmgirl Fare, Missouri, U.S.A., got in just in time to join WHB #126. She shares Cream (or not) Of Artichoke Soup With Garlic, Onions & Garbonzo Beans. Susan gets a bit decadent and adds a bit of cream to her soup-she’s gone to the dark side. Welcome, Susan.
Well, that’s a wrap, folks. We had a great showing this week, so keep on Weekend Herb Blogging!
Cheers!
Ramona
