Weekend Herb Blogging Roundup for May 5 - 11, 2008

Weekend Herb Blogging is a weekly event created by Kalyn of Kalyn’s Kitchen and features interesting recipes made with herbs, plants, vegetables, or flowers. For those who want to take part in Weekend Herb Blogging, here are the rules.

The responsibility for summing up each week’s submissions jumps from blogger to blogger; this week it’s my turn. Fifty people from across the globe submitted an interesting and eclectic group of recipes. I enjoyed reading them all.

The entries are described in the order they were received. If anyone finds an error, please let me know and I’ll fix it right away. Next week’s host is Gay from A Scientist in the Kitchen.

Thai-Style Red Curry with Chicken
Alexandria, Virginia, USA
While readying her garden for spring, Cheryl of Gluten Free Goodness found a volunteer Vietnamese basil plant growing in a patio crack. Cheryl used the basil to garnish and give flavor to Thai-Style Red Curry with Chicken.

Trio of Preserved Tomatoes
Manila, Philippines
Chicha Jo, of 80 Breakfasts, bought a passel of organic red and green tomatoes that had been “grown using local community labor at fair wages.” In an epic cook-a-thon, she made Pickled Green Tomatoes to serve with fish or burgers, Red Tomato Chutney, a versatile condiment, and Oven-Roasted Tomatoes, which she’s already used in salad, pasta, and a tart.

Farro with Mushrooms, Thyme, and Balsamic Vinegar
Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Kalyn, of Kalyn’s Kitchen (and creator of Weekend Herb Blogging), has trouble finding time to cook out of all her accumulated cookbooks. Luckily for us, Kalyn dove into one of her books and made Farro with Mushrooms, Thyme, and Balsamic Vinegar. Kalyn also gives tips for using farro, an ancient Mediterranean high-protein grain.

Spanish Omelet with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Mill Valley, California, USA
Anna of Anna’s Cool Finds shows off her shopping skills, and demonstrates why her blog is aptly named, with a wonderful Spanish Omelet and Roasted Red Pepper Sauce served with ocean friendly Canadian lobster tail. Anna says the quick and easy pepper sauce, made with pantry staples, can also be used to enliven roast meats.

Palek Paneer (Spiced Spinach and Cheese)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Elizabeth of Blog from OUR Kitchen made her favorite vegetable: an Indian spinach and cheese dish called Palek Paneer. This is so good it converted Elizabeth from a spinach hater to a spinach lover. Palek Paneer can be made well ahead, and is nicely seasoned with ginger, cumin, mustard seed, and garlic.

Matar Paneer (Spiced Peas and Cheese)
London, Ontario, Canada
Lisa of Lisa’s Kitchen made spiced peas and cheese from the Punjab region of India and Pakistan called Matar Paneer. When you eat this, Lisa says the warm paneer cheese melts in your mouth and nicely balances the spicy tomato sauce.

Fresh Cardamom and Rocket (Arugula) Salad
Athens, Greece
Ivy of Kopiaste went to a farmer’s market and discovered fresh cardamom greens. The seller told Ivy to use it in salads, but warned her fresh cardamom is a male aphrodisiac. (The Greek verb kardamono/καρδαμώνω means “to become invigorated.”) Ivy made a delicious Fresh Cardamom and Rocket (Arugula) Salad that included cherry tomatoes, green onions, dried figs, and fresh strawberries.

Black Bean Chili-Soup
Missouri, USA
Susan of Farmgirl Fare made an easy, healthy, and delicious Black Bean Chili-Soup packed with herbs and vegetables. The soup can be made ahead or frozen for use on days when finding time to cook is impossible. For maximum flavor, Susan advises to buy whole spices and grind them at home; I whole-heartedly agree.

Foxtail Millet with Dal and Fenugreek Leaves
India
Srivalli of Cooking 4 All Seasons cooks foxtail millet instead of rice and serves it with Dal and Fresh Fenugreek Leaves. Her fascinating post explains the variety of ways that fenugreek is used as food: seeds, fresh greens, and dried greens. (The word fenugreek comes from the Latin for “Greek hay;” in Greece it’s called Trigoniskos – Τριγωνίσκος.)

Ricotta Cheese Spread with Herbs
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
KC of Kits Chow loves Boursin cheese but hasn’t been eating it since starting the South Beach diet. To ease her longing, KC created a lovely Ricotta Cheese Spread with Herbs seasoned with cilantro, lemongrass, ginger, garlic, and lemon zest.

Minty Watermelon Shake
Philippines
Gay of A Scientist in the Kitchen blends watermelon and fresh mint to make a wonderfully refreshing Minty Watermelon Shake: the perfect drink for a sunny day.

Red Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
Natalie of Gluten Free Mommy loves quinoa and says it’s easiest to make in a rice cooker. For Red Quinoa Stuffed Peppers, Natalie bakes peppers with red quinoa, kale, tomato, and herb stuffing, and serves them with mashed avocado and lime.

Herbed Parsnip Soup
Greenwich Village, New York, USA
The Chocolate Lady says that parsnips are at their sweetest and most intense in early spring. For the last days of Passover, she made Herbed Parsnip Soup, a comforting soup guaranteed to sooth even the most harried among us.

Split Pea Soup
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Johanna of Green Gourmet Giraffe was inspired by medieval recipes for pease pudding to make vegetarian Split Pea Soup. She uses smoked paprika instead of ham to round out the soup’s flavor. For food history buffs, Johanna describes pea soup’s importance in years past.

Oregano Crusted Wavy Pork Skewers
Belgrade, Serbia
Marija of Palachinka layers thin pork slices with zucchini and smoked cheese, skewers them, and coats them with oregano flavored bread crumbs to make Oregano Crusted Wavy Pork Skewers. Marija cooks interesting Serbian food; when you’re done reading about pork skewers, check out the rest of her wonderful blog.

Liver in Onion and White Wine Sauce
Croatia (Dalmatia) via the UK
Maninas of the wonderful Food Matters blog shares her mother’s recipe for Liver in Onion and White Wine Sauce. Sweet carrots and onions combine with white wine, garlic, and parsley to make a typically Croatian sauce. When served over buttery soft mashed potatoes, Maninas' liver dish is heavenly.

Carpaccio with Dandelion Salad and Truffle Oil
Anchorage, Alaska, USA
Laurie of Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska (yep, that’s me) used the first, sweet dandelions of the year to make Carpaccio with Dandelion Salad and Truffle Oil. I also give some basic rules to follow when foraging for wild greens.

Tamarind Rice
Los Angeles, California, USA
Divya Vikram of Dil Se says Tamarind Rice is the ultimate comfort food and can be prepared in minutes. She mixes cooked rice with lots of Indian spices, chili, and garlic. Tamarind Rice can be made with pantry staples, so is a handy dish for days when you don’t have time to go shopping.

Dhokla Sandwiches
California, USA
For days when she wants something attractive, delicious, and low-calorie, Mansi of Fun and Food makes Dhokla Sandwiches filled with cilantro chutney. The bottom layer is a steamed chickpea flour cake and the top layer a steamed chili and cilantro cake. Dhokla Sandwiches are perfect finger food that can be served with your choice of dipping sauce.

Bottle Gourd Curry (Bolu Kodhel)
India via the UK
Sia of Monsoon Spice came home after a long flight from India and needed simple comfort food. She made her amah’s mother’s recipe for Bottle Gourd Curry which mixes silky bottle gourd with spicy sambar powder and sweet jaggery. (Use the links if you need help understanding what, for me, are exotic ingredients.)

Parsley Pesto with Walnuts
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Peter of Souvlaki for the Soul makes Parsley Pesto with Walnuts and serves it on toasted pita bread and also tossed with pasta. Peter says it’s delicious and highly addictive. For anyone interested in food photography, Peter’s blog is a must; he consistently takes some of the best and most innovative photographs available in the food blogosphere.

Yellow Rice & Black Bean Salad
Lima, Peru
Last Friday, Gretchen of Canela & Comino woke up to a wind storm; winter is arriving in Peru. Gretchen, however, is still pretending it’s summer so made a healthy Yellow Rice and Black Bean Salad.

Millet and Red Pepper Pilaf
Ontario, Canada
Ricki of Diet, Dessert and Dogs used her knowledge of gluten free grains to whip up a 20-minute Millet and Red Pepper Pilaf. Curry and coconut milk add Asian undertones, and complement the sweet red peppers. Pretty to look at, pleasingly aromatic, and ready in a flash, Ricki’s millet pilaf is a wonderful side dish.

Mom’s Stuffed Artichokes
San Diego, California, USA
Susan of Food Blogga first helped her mom make vegetarian stuffed artichokes when she was 6. After moving to California, the artichoke-lovers’ promised land, Susan called her mom for advice on how to make them by herself. Over the years, Susan has perfected her Mom’s Stuffed Artichokes and now shares the recipe with us.

Roasted Tomatoes with Fresh Chives
Soddy Daisy, Tennessee, USA
Pam of Sidewalk Shoes is blessed with too many chives in her garden. One way she uses them is in quick and easy Roasted Tomatoes with Fresh Chives. Pam says roasting sweetens and deepens the flavor of even off-season tomatoes.

Lamb Shanks in Port Sauce
Victoria, Australia
Autumn has arrived in Australia, and Pam of The Backyard Pizzeria turns to her favorite cut of meat to make the perfect fall dish: Lamb Shanks in Port Sauce. Pam cleverly uses a pressure cooker to turn this normally slow-cooked dish into one that is tender and succulent in only an hour.

Black Bean Chicken Chili
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
Mandira of Ahaar had some leftover chicken and used it to make Black Bean Chicken Chili. Green peppers and carrots give substance to the chili, which is warmly spiced with cumin and chili powder.

Sourdough Rosemary Olive Oil Bread
Arcata, California, USA
Tommi of Brown Interior makes her first WHB entry a great one with La Brea Bakery’s recipe for Sourdough Rosemary Olive Oil Bread. Tommi’s loaves have a beautiful tender crumb from the added olive oil, which also makes the crust thin and crispy.

Pineapple Sage
Australia
Linda of Snowys grows Pineapple Sage as an ornamental perennial and provides links for Pineapple Sage Pound Cake and Pineapple Sage Tea. The gorgeous red flowers can also add a tasty accent to fruit salads.

Portuguese Chicken
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Australians are obsessed with Portuguese Chicken for good reason, says Anna of Morsels & Musings. The spicy chicken is seasoned with Piri Piri (African Birdseye) Peppers which, at 175,000 Scoville units, are hotter than Thai and Pequin peppers but not as hot as Habaneros or Scotch Bonnets. To cool down your mouth, Anna throws in a bonus recipe for Coriander Soup.

Gingko Nut and Mushroom Custards
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Lucy of Nourish Me searched out gingko nuts at an Asian grocery and used their pungent flesh to make Gingko Nut and Mushroom Custards. Seasoned with shiitake mushrooms and smoked tofu, Lucy says the barely set, quivering custards are a welcome restorative. Speaking of restoratives, Lucy’s lyrical writing and striking photographs make Nourish Me one of mine.

Roasted Garlic Oil
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Kevin of Closet Cooking claims he used to make boring meals, but you’ll never believe it if you read his prolific postings. This week, Kevin enters an easy recipe for Roasted Garlic Oil. Making the oil leaves you with a bonus bowl of roasted garlic that can be tossed with pasta, spread on toast, slipped under chicken skin, or used in a myriad of other ways; just don’t throw it away.

Asparagus Chèvre Quiche
Les Pineaux, Vendée, France
Katie of Thyme for Cooking dreams of eating Asparagus Chèvre Quiche in the Monet-designed gardens of Giverny and takes us along to this floral paradise. Katie's spendid quiche has an interesting brown rice crust and also includes prosciutto, tomatoes, and basil.

Braised Peas with Pancetta and Onions
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Haalo of Cook Almost Anything brings us her mom’s recipe for Braised Peas with Pancetta and Onion. Fresh peas are combined with slowly braised onions, garlic, and pancetta in a glorious side dish. Haalo says she never has leftovers when she makes this; it’s that good.

Spring Lamb Stew
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Tammy of Food on the Food braises spring lamb until it’s fork-tender and mixes it with fresh asparagus, peas, tarragon, and chervil to make Amanda Hesser’s Spring Lamb Stew from The Cook and the Gardener. If you haven’t seen WHB first-timer Tammy’s blog, I recommend it – she’s a humorist as well as an excellent cook.

Dolmadakia (Stuffed Grape Leaves and Zucchini Flowers)
Hania, Crete, Greece
Organically Cooked is one of my favorite Greek food blogs. Its author, Maria, is a born storyteller and purveyor of healthy, tasty, and traditional Cretan foods. For her first time participating in WHB, Maria makes rice-stuffed Dolmadakia (Stuffed Grape Leaves and Zucchini Flowers). Maria cleverly uses Dolmadakia as caps for oven-baked Stuffed Tomatoes.

Pasta with Pink Peppercorns
Chennai, India
Arundathi of My Food Blog approached pink peppercorns with trepidation after learning they can be toxic if eaten in large quantities. However, when she made Pasta with Pink Peppercorns with exactly 5 peppercorns, Arundathi discovered they added a delicate and wonderful flavor to her vegetarian pasta recipe.

Chinois Pancakes
New York, USA
Siri of Siri’s Corner continues her series of vegetarian Wolfgang Puck recipes with her post on Chinois Pancakes. Though the pancakes were originally designed to accompany Puck’s Chinese Duck with Plum Sauce, Siri says they can be served with just about anything. The savory pancakes, seasoned with garlic, ginger, and green onions look like beautiful lace.

Zoe’s Green Beans (Fasolakia tis Zoes)
California, USA
Green beans braised in tomato sauce are a classic of the Greek table, and for good reason: they taste wonderful. At Mama’s Taverna, clever Lulu gives us a taste of the debates that rage in Greece over the correct way to make Fasolakia (and every other classic dish), as well as a recipe and step-by-step photographic instructions.

Creamy Quinoa with Banana, Cassia, and Almonds
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
With fall’s arrival in Melbourne, Another Outspoken Female from Confessions of a Food Nazi is drawn to hot breakfasts. Creamy Quinoa with Banana, Cassia, and Almonds hits just the right spot. Ms. Outspoken hand-grates cassia bark for seasoning, and prefers its spicier flavor to that of milder true cinnamon.

Mushroom Balls
Davis, California, USA
Sher of What Did You Eat? loves meatballs, but decided it was time to make something that would let her vegetarian friends “experience the joy of popping a savory orb into their mouths.” She serves her delicious gluten-free Mushroom Balls with spiced red sauce and says they look meaty, but taste like concentrated mushrooms.

Cheese, Olive, and Buttermilk Herb Bread
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
When Y of Lemonpi was young, she made her brother hot breakfasts showcasing cheese, one of his favorite foods. In honor of those long ago days, Y recently made her brother Cheese, Olive, and Buttermilk Herb Bread. With oodles of herbs and two kinds of cheese, Y’s beautiful bread is best served warm.

Tapenade (Olive Spread)
Northern Germany
Ulrike of Küchenlatein used thyme and rosemary from her garden to make a Provençal olive spread called Tapenade. Anchovies and capers add to Tapenade’s flavor, which is best served on freshly baked bread.

French Beans with Spicy Dried Shrimp
Singapore
For busy nights when Wiffy of Noob Cook wants flavorful food in a hurry, she makes French Beans with Spicy Dried Shrimp. Green beans are cut in 1/2” lengths, seasoned with chili, garlic, and dried shrimp, stir-fried for 5 minutes, and served with steamed rice.

Spareribs with Bitter Gourd Soup
Philippines
Soli Deo Gloria of Hearth and Home learned to remove the bitterness from bitter gourds by making Spareribs with Bitter Gourd Soup. Since bitter gourd is such a healthy vegetable, Ms. Gloria was happy to find a way to make it that even children like.

Picnic by the Loire
France
Ronell of My French Kitchen kindly takes us along for a Picnic by the Loire River. She packs a hamper with beautiful herbs and vegetables (and vinaigrette on the side), and adds cheese, bread, wine, and ice cream for dessert. If wishes were horses, I’d join her on the riverbank. Since they aren’t, I’ll bask in Ronell’s lovely pictures and be inspired by her good time.

Oregano Ravioli
Ontario, Canada
Natashya of Living in the Kitchen with Puppies shows genius by making Oregano Ravioli for her maiden voyage with WHB. She works fresh oregano directly into pasta dough and stuffs the ravioli with cheese filling. Natashya serves her ravishing ravioli with grilled chicken.

Wild Garlic Chutney
Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Maybelle’s Mom of Feeding Maybelle is enjoying the rewards of foraging for wild plants (a woman after my own heart). She used the spoils from a recent expedition to make Wild Garlic Chutney and ate it spread on buttered toast. The chutney is a terrific example of the wonderful food that can be made with wild gleanings.

Greek Mushroom Filo Cups
New York, USA
“Musky, woodsy, just enough crunch” is how Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook describes her Greek Mushroom Filo Cups. Susan’s knack for evocative food descriptions and tasty recipes makes her blog one of my favorites. The mushroom cups, seasoned with coriander seed and fresh thyme, were a superb accompaniment for Susan’s late afternoon apéritif.

Chicory, Potato, and Dolcelatte Salad
United Kingdom
Scott of Real Epicurean mixes hot potatoes with gorgonzola (dolcelatte), mustard dressing, and fresh Belgian endive (chicory) for a lovely Chicory, Potato, and Dolcelatte Salad. Lemon juice and a sprinkling of walnuts finish this luscious salad.