September 10, 2011
Come over and check out the awesome time I had judging the Blogger Blueberry Recipe contest for the Blueberry Council!
September 10, 2011
Blueberry Recipe Judging with Sara Moulton & The Blueberry Council
Earlier this week I spent some time with members of The Blueberry Council, Sara Moulton and Adeena Sussman judging the finalists for the Blogger Blueberry Recipe contest. The three of us spent at fun two hours tasting three savory blueberry recipes and three sweet blueberry recipes. While I can’t reveal the order of the winners, I can tell you that all the recipes ROCKED! We all loved the variety of innovative dishes that showcased the little blue dynamos in such unique ways.
OMG, these were sooo good!
Stay tuned to learn more about the winners of the contest and prepare yourself by buying at least two pints of blueberries. You are totally going to want to make a few of these the minute you see how scrumptious they are!
September 8, 2011
Closing the Container Garden & Freezing Herbs {Naptime Simple Tips}
Last spring I planted this terrific container garden for our deck and we’ve been enjoying the bounty of herbs all summer long. There is no end to the flavor possibilities with delicious fresh herbs on hand and I, for one, have been adding them to just about all of my dishes. Now that fall is coming it is time for me to start freezing the remaining herbs so I can use them all winter. A lot of people I talk with are surprised that I bother to do this since fresh herbs can be procured at the store year-round. This is true, of course, but I prefer to preserve the herbs I’ve been growing all season because it saves a lot of money and my homegrown herbs simply taste better.
I thought today I’d share how I am freezing herbs for winter in case you are inspired to do the same with yours. I often make this a project when my daughter is at school. It takes about an hour, including drying time, for me to get everything rinsed, dried and in their freezer bags for the whole winter. It is well worth my time, I think, because it ensures wonderfully flavored food all winter long! I try to freeze as much as I can at one time and often do at least two freezing sessions before discarding the bare plants before the first frost. I should note that I am wintering over my rosemary and lemon verbena plants because they are hearty enough to thrive indoors, but I’ve included how they can be frozen below for your reference.
September 7, 2011
Homemade Pesto, Mozzarella & Tomato Pizza {Naptime Webisode}
A new webisode! I am not going to write much about this pizza since I talk about it so much in the video. I learned this method for making homemade pizza while at King Arthur Flour. The bakers their suggested I preheat my oven for an hour with the pizza stone in it (!) and then use their pizza flour blend to make an easy pizza crust. Their ideas seemed to smart and manageable that I immediately tried it when I got home and am so glad I did. It worked beautifully! So, without further ado. Our homemade pizza night on a rainy Sunday afternoon.
September 6, 2011
Roasted Tomato & Basil Soup {Naptime Everyday}
What’s Going on Today: Using up the last of the tomatoes before heading out for Labor Day weekend! Packing and cleaning up!
Naptime Goals: Make a pile of new back to school clothes, roast tomatoes and make soup!
Tonight’s Menu: Roasted Tomato & Basil Soup, Herbed Couscous, crisp white wine.
As I indicated last week, I am a compulsive tomato buyer at the farmer’s market. There is something about their ruby red skin that just lures me in and says “buy me!” It is a little like the way I feel when I am wandering through the Saks shoe department, too, but the tomatoes are a lot cheaper. Right before the hurricane last month we had a spell of gorgeous summer weather and I served tomatoes nearly every night for dinner. I made this particular soup recipe up as I went during naptime. I wanted something that would truly showcase the amazing flavor of our summer tomatoes and could be served warm or chilled.
