An {herbal} Table Winner!

I don't know about you, but I've really enjoyed The Table this summer. I have tried oodles of new recipes,  made a couple of kitcheny projects, and had my first guest-poster! It's added to the fun to have you join in on the {summer}, {picnic}, and {herbal} themes! Thank you!

With the monthly focuses have been monthly link parties, and from what I hear, you've liked that. So I think we'll continue into fall with having one linky on the first Tuesday of each month, and just link back to that each following week. I'm thinking we'll let September be all random, and if you clamour for more monthly themes, I can certainly consider that - so let me know ok?

Meanwhile, we have a random winner for Tuesday at the {herbal} Table!

And that would be Allison of Dreaming in Patchwork! A relative newcomer to Tuesday at the Table, she shared this month about her family's recent outing to the Farmer's Market. Thanks, Allison - I'll be emailing you about the prize you've won. Thanks again to the donors of this month's great prizes -

      

And being the number person that I am, I was curious about The Table's summer stats, so for those who are like-minded ~ 40 different people linked up to The Table, with a total of 93 link-ups. And the person who linked up the most was Kirsten of Gemini Stitches (8 times!). Kirsten and I have traded U.S.-only and Australia-only DS fabric a few times, and I certainly hope she can use the extra little prize I have for her . . . a $25 gift certificate to Sew Fresh Fabrics!

Thanks to all of you for joining me around The Table! It's been good.

Tuesday at the {herbal} Table

Wow this month (and summer period!) has flown by. Tuesday at the {herbal} Table is nearly over. Link up by midnight Wednesday, August 29, and shortly after, I'll choose a random winner for some awesome goodies. If zipit, Pink Chalk Fabrics, or Savory Sweet Life mean anything to you at all, then you won't want to miss out!

I have one of my favorite herbal recipes to share today, a salad that I don't make too often, which is a huge faux pas on my part. It is really delicious!

Warm Spinach and Basil Salad
from The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook

6 cups fresh spinach leaves
2 cups fresh basil leaves (1 large bunch)
½ cup best-quality olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ cup pine nuts (pignoli)
4 ounces prosciutto, diced
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
¾ freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Toss the spinach and basil together in a large salad bowl.
Heat oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and pine nuts and saute until nuts begin to brown slightly. Stir in prosciutto and cook 1 minute more Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Toss spinach and basil with warm dressing and sprinkle salad with Parmesan. Serve immediately and pass the pepper mill. mmmmmm good.

I'll try not to weigh you down with countless recipes this week unlike last, but there was also a delicious experiment we tried. And that would be cobs of corn grilled with their husks still on. The produce guy at my market said to snip the husk right at the top of each ear, so the silk wouldn't catch fire. Then put them right on the grill, on high, and rotate them every little bit, about 15 minutes total. So that's what we did.

Then we pulled some of that herb butter I'd made out of the freezer, and served it alongside. Tasty.

So that's what I have to say about that! And though we've been talking herbs, remember that you can link up any recipe or table project. Join me at the table!

Tuesday at the {herbal} Table

My little herb snippers have been put to good use this week, as I've tried a wide assortment of herbal recipes, and I think I can honestly say I'd make them all again! I didn't get pics of them all, but that doesn't mean they weren't more than tasty!

This first one is a refreshing summer beverage I've actually made many times - and which is why we have lemon balm growing in our yard! The recipe is originally from The Herbfarm, a really unique and exclusive restaurant near us that is known for using herbs in every dish. (And unfortunately, no I haven't been there, but I do make switchel every summer!)

Haymaker Switchel
¼ cup sugar
½ cup water
½ cup finely chopped mint leaves
½ cup finely chopped lemon balm leaves
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup orange juice
Ginger Ale

Combine sugar and water in saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring often to dissolve the sugar. Add chopped mint and lemon balm and boil for 30 seconds. Turn off heat; cover and let stand for 1 hour. Strain into a clean container and add citrus juices. We use about 2 Tb. of the mix in an ice-filled glass and then top off with ginger ale. I bet you could sub lemon mint or all mint, if you don't have lemon balm.

I took a cue from Susan/The History Quilter's link-up and made some flavored water instead of serving 'just' plain water to guests last weekend. I found a blog via Pinterest - NancyCreative - with lots of flavor combo ideas. I combined lemon slices, cucumber slices, and sprigs of mint. Nice.

Having all the ingredients already in my fridge and herb garden, I also tried Becky/Solar Thread's linked-up recipe for Greek Eggs. It made a really nice Sunday supper!

After chatting with Lynne/pieceful about the pesto recipe I shared from The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook, I made the "marinated tomato, brie and BASIL salad on page 152" at her suggestion. Oh my! It was like dessert! I"d never had brie served anything like this. And as Lynne told me - "don't forget the bread".

Marinated Tomato, Brie and Basil Salad
4 ripe large tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1/2" cubes (I used little pear tomatoes.)
1# brie, rind removed, cheese cut into irregular pieces
1 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into strips
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large serving bowl. Let stand covered at room temp for at least 2 hours. Serve with crusty bread.

Lastly, I needed an herbal recipe for the pork loin I planned to serve to guests last weekend. My old friend epicurious provided just what I was looking for - Marinated Pork with Cilantro and Garlic - which was easy and delish.

Oh! I almost forgot to report on the marinated olives I made last week! Keeper! I shared some with my mom, who added them to leftover chicken and pasta for a tasty lunch, nibbled on a few myself of course, and used the rest to make olive-topped focaccia. Since I wasn't overly thrilled with the recipe I used for the focaccia, let me just say this - make your favorite recipe, and before baking, push indentations all over the dough with your finger. Brush the entire surface with oil from those olives, then pop an olive into each indentation and sprinkle with chopped thyme. Bake as usual. And enjoy.

So that's pleeeenty of herbal goodness from me this week! What about you? Time to share so link up here!

An {herbal} Table Tidbit :: The Prize

Well we are half-way through the month-long Tuesday at the {herbal} Table feature. Just link up a recipe or a table project or something else relating to The Table. If it's herbal, great, but it doesn't have to be - 
that's just a suggestion if you want one! The linky will be open through Wednesday, August 29. Later that week, I'll choose one random winner from all of the link-ups this month. 

So here are the super fun goodies in this month's prize package for that one random winner!

First off, zipit has offered a $20 gift certificate to their shop! These are just awesome zips - the only ones I've used since I've started blogging. Zipit has super bundles and a rainbow of colors - perfect to have in your stash, so they're there when you need them!

Pink Chalk Fabrics also has given a $20 gift certificate to their shop! I consider this my 'local' online fabric store, but they have alot more than just {the latest!} fabric. Shipping turnaround is super-quick and their customer service is awesome.

And, since this is a foodie feature after, all, I'm pleased that Alice of Savory Sweet Life has shared a copy of her new book! It's beautiful, and chock full of inviting recipes "for every family occasion."  I made a yummy Cobb Salad from it the other night, and you can see I have tabs marked in my copy of what to try next!

So are you tempted? I sure hope so! Come on, share that recipe you've made, the one you want to make, those napkins or placemats you've stitched up, or tell us about how fun your last cookout was! Join in and share around the table!

A Table Tidbit

Back in 2009, hubby and I were thrilled to be able to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary in a really big way. We went to Italy! It had been a dream of ours for some time, and when the realization hit that everyone else in our family had been to Europe - our parents, our sibs, our kids - well, we just decided to go! And it was awesome.

We picked the itinerary we did because we really wanted to experience Cinque Terre, five little towns built into the coast on the Italian Riviera. This area is known for its walking trail that connects the five villages, and through some miscommunication between hubby and myself, I found us on the trail bright and early one morning, with his intent of hiking the entire length. 

It was absolutely filled with stunning views and unforgettable experiences. It was also one of the most difficult things I've done in my life! Eight hours later, we reached the last town and hopped the fast train back to our starting place. As a reward, it seemed, there was a lovely dinner planned by the family that owned our hotel.

The highlight for me was the pesto-making lesson by Felicita Pascuale, the grandma of the family. Of course, made by hand with a mortar and pestle, it was the most amazing pesto I had ever tasted.

Remembering Felicita and her pesto, and as part of this month's celebration of the {herbal} table, I have a challenge for you! If you've never made your own pesto, would you give it a try, and link up about your experience?? If you do make it, would you tell us about it? How do you enjoy using it? Any special tweaks to your recipe?

It starts with the simplest of ingredients. And rather than mortar and pestle, I use my modern food processor. Here's my basic recipe, from The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook.

Pesto

• 2 C fresh basil leaves (about 1 bunch)
• 4 medium-size cloves garlic, chopped
• 3/4 cup pine nuts (or chopped walnuts)
• 1 C olive oil
• 1 C freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• 1
  Process the basil, garlic, and nuts in a food processor fitted with a steel blade - or in 2 batches in a blender - until finely chopped.
• 2
  With the machine running, pour in the oil in a thin, steady stream.
• 3
  Add the cheese, a big pinch of salt, and a liberal grinding of pepper. Process briefly to combine. Remove to a bowl and cover until ready to use.

  (or divide among small containers & freeze)

  

  
  

  I hope you give it a whirl! Feel free to link up here!

Tuesday at the {herbal} Table

Welcome back to the {herbal} table! I know at least one person besides me has had herbs on her mind this week, and I just have to give her a shout-out. It's Lynne from pieceful, who harvested a big ole bunch of herbs from her garden, dried some for later, and most impressive of all, made her own herb salt. What fun!

                                                                                     photo credit: pieceful used by permission

I've been looking through some of my cookbooks for herbal recipes. (If you need any ideas, I found some tasty-sounding ones on Williams-Sonoma's website too -  there's a whole Cooking with Herbs section!) Meanwhile, here's another dish I made for the company dinner I told you about last week.

It's one of my tried-and-true favorites from Stonewall Kitchen Favorites - Arugula, Prosciutto, and Grilled Asparagus Salad with Lemon-Chive Dressing - a long, detailed name for an easy, uncomplicated recipe. Basically, arrange some arugula on a platter, tuck in some thin-sliced prosciutto, top with roasted asparagus, and then drizzle with a simple chive dressing. Here's the dressing:

Lemon-Chive Dressing
juice of 1 large lemon (about 1/3 cup)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tb. minced chives (can also substitute basil)
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Obviously, I like to top with some goat cheese; some oil-cured black olives would also be a great add.

And speaking of olives, here's what was next on my list to try - Thyme and Garlic Olives. This one's from a book that's been in my collection a long time, The Herbal Pantry.

It was another easy and fun one to put together - though it's suggested to leave these marinating in the fridge for at least two days, so I'll have to report later how they are. But from the sneak taste I tried last night, things are looking good!

Thyme and Garlic Olive

3/4# black olives (I'm using my favorite kalamatas.)
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 Tb. fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp. peppercorns
olive oil to cover

So now it's your turn to share. If you have an herbal post to share, great. Otherwise, any recipe or table-related project would be perfect! Just link up here.

Random

Morning! I'm hoping you'll help me choose a prize for August's Tuesday at the {herbal} Table feature by checking out the short questionnaire on A Quilter's Table facebook page. You'd be doing all of us a favor!

For those of you that like weekly link-ups, Marci of Marci Girl Designs clued me in about the master list being built on from blank pages. Kind of fun . . . and of course I added Tuesday at the Table at Marci's suggestion. I'm hoping you'll consider linking up this month as we enjoy cooking and baking with herbs. Though as always, that's just the theme I'll be exploring - any recipe or table-related post is welcome!

Did you happen to see Rachel of Stitched in Color discuss some of the new Kona solids this week? It gives you a good idea of some new options. I'm anxious to try some. Have you?

I'm also curious if anyone's used Julie/Jaybird Quilts new Hex N More ruler? It makes 4 shapes in 4 sizes. It seems pretty clever.

Daughter dear just used the improv log cabin block she made in Katie's class, and finished it up as a mini quilt. That inspired me to pull out the block I made too (lower right corner). I had in mind to make a few more that coordinate, for a tad larger quilt. Not quite sure if I'll stop here or keep going . . .

The ultimate randomness is to share a pic I took yesterday in my yard, practicing settings on my camera. So there you go . . . hope you all have a nice weekend!

Tuesday at the {herbal} Table

Welcome to Tuesday at the {herbal} Table! In my neck of the woods, it's summer {relatively speaking}, and  the {herbal} table is the third month of special-emphasis here at Tuesday at the Table. If you missed the {summer} table or the {picnic} table links, feel free to click back and check out the delicious recipes and awesome table projects that have been shared!

So about those herbs.

The above photo is from the local market (I love their little signs!), but I do have quite a variety of herbs growing just outside my back door, thanks to hubby's green thumb. And I really enjoy using them in my cooking and baking. As a rule of thumb, in most recipes you can substitute fresh herbs for dry herbs by using about 3 times the amount. Ie. if a recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of dry herbs, you can use 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs. If you're unfamiliar with using fresh herbs in your kitchen, here's a nice little video from one of my favorite TV chefs, Jamie Oliver, telling a bit about the different kinds of herbs and how to prepare them, plus you get his enticing English accent, right?

So in preparation for this herbal theme, I tried several new recipes this last weekend, when we had friends over for dinner. This first one is a super easy appetizer, but it got a 'wow' from the guests, and was fun and tasty.

Greek Salad Skewers - one of my Pinterest pins - will definitely be making these again!

For the main course, I made Grilled Citrus-Herb Chicken - also from Pinterest - and this was the most flavorful, moist grilled chicken I had ever done.

Source: yumsugar.com via Steph on Pinterest

I used skinless, boneless chicken breasts and in making this recipe, I affirmed a few things about my cooking style:

• I rarely, against my own best advice, read a recipe all the way through before I start.
• I like the security of a recipe, but don't always follow it.
• There are few recipes I make over and over. I'm always trying new ones.
• I'm not afraid to try new recipes on guests. In fact, I revel in it.

In this case, it wasn't till I'd plopped the chicken into what I assumed was going to be a marinade that I realized the recipe actually suggested grilling the chicken and then dipping it into the dressing just before serving. Oh well - I will definitely try it per the recipe another time, but it was totally delish marinated overnight before grilling. 

Well that's enough for this go-round, but there's plenty more about herbs I'll be sharing as the weeks go by. As for the link-up, it'll be open through the month, closing at day's end on Wednesday, August 29. Then before the month closes, I'll chose a random winner of the yet-decided prize. Don't feel like you have to link only on Tuesdays - anytime is fine. And though the food focus is herbs, any recipe or table-related project or plain and simple table talk is always welcome. I just enjoy you joining me around the table.