Weekend Herb Blogging #208 - Recap

It's been a great pleasure to organise Weekend Herb Blogging for the last year and it's been equally enjoyable to host. Each week, without fail, there will always be fascinating recipes showcasing the creativity and skills of our fellow bloggers.

This recap has been a bittersweet one when I was informed this morning that one of the participants has not only stolen the photos they are using but also stolen the posts. In fact all their previous submissions have been stolen and I will be contacting the various hosts to have them removed from their respective recaps.

I cannot say it any stronger or any clearer, content thieves are not welcome in Weekend Herb Blogging - they will not be accepted in any future WHB events, for me, there is zero tolerance for this behaviour.

I have pondered long and hard as to whether to make a public statement or deal with it behind the scenes but I think that silence plays its own part in allowing this type of behaviour to flourish and continue.

Now it's time to move to something far more enjoyable and what we're all here for - the celebration of four years of Weekend Herb Blogging and a look at the wonderful creations made.

I have presented the offerings in order of main ingredient.



Carrots

Apple and Carrot Biscuits
Mangocheeks from Allotment 2 Kitchen

You don't have to be Bugs Bunny to fall in love with these fantastically clever carrot shaped, carrot and apple biscuits. Mangocheeks has enjoyed growing many varieties of carrots this season and this recipe uses one called Purple Haze.


Chestnut

Double Layered Chocolate Chestnut Cake
Dhanggit from Dhanggit's Kitchen

Dhanggit puts chestnut puree to a very good use as a filling for her heavenly double chocolate layer cake. I hope there's enough slices to go round!


Dandelion and Black Mustard

Spelt and Lentil Fritters
Graziana from Erbe in Cucina (Cooking with Herbs)

Graziana puts to use the autumn leaves of dandelion and black mustard. As they are harder than their summer counterparts, it is necessary to cook them before eating. She incorporates them into a fritter filled with the goodness of spelt, pearl barley and lentils.


Fenugreek Leaves/Methi

Fenugreek Paratha
Deepti from Dips Kitchen

We welcome Deepti to her first WHB and she uses the wonderfully fragrant and nutritious fenugreek leaves to flavour her Parathas.


Mahlab

Mahlab Shortbread




Another fragrant offering, this time it's my Mahlab Shortbread.


Nettles

Nettle and Silverbeet Soup
Johanna from Green Gourmet Giraffe


Nettles are one of those ingredients that due to their rather prickly nature some might shy away from using them. If this is you, then you must read Johanna's comprehensive post that gives us all the information we'd ever need to handle this ingredient. You'll also find the recipe for this vibrant, vegan Nettle and Silverbeet Soup.


Olives

Max's Homemade Salted Olives
Brii from Briiblog


Brii's been without a computer for 10 days since it broke down but she's back with a recipe from Florence for salted olives. I especially love the ingredient list which reads, olives, salt and patience!


Parsley

Parsley, Leek & Broccoli in a mushroom-cheddar sauce
Anna of Anna's Cool Finds


Anna puts together a tasty offering from her CSA box that celebrates the humble parsley. I for one, wouldn't know what to do without that fabulous herb.


Parsnip and Potato

Parsnip Mashed Potatoes
Katie from Eat This



Katie forgoes her usual roasted parsnip to revisit her dad's version of a mixed root mash - she create this tasty parsnip and potato mash, the parsnip adding a touch of sweetness to the dish.


Poppyseeds

Poppy Ice cream
Chriesi from Almond Corner


Chriesi celebrates our 4th anniversary with an amazing poppy seed dessert - a blue poppy seed ice cream served with a lemon & white poppy chocolate cake and if you're still craving more there's also a lemon caramel syrup.


Rice Paddy Herb

Bò Tái Chanh/Lemon Cured Sirloin with Rice Paddy Herb
Anna from Morsels and Musings


Anna takes us on a vivid journey to Cabramatta, the heart of Sydney's Vietanemse food and culture. There's great photos of a wide array of traditional ingredients just perfect for those planning a Vietnamese feast and a focus on one particular herb, Rice Patty Herb that Anna describes as having flavours "like cumin and lemon and pepper altogether". I must add that Anna's computer has also died so here's hoping that she can salvage all her work from the drive.


Sage

Roasted Butternut and Sage Risotto
Jeanne from CookSister!


Sage is up there as one of favourite herbs and in Jeanne's dish she combines it beautifully with roasted butternut pumpkin to create a luxurious risotto. I have my spoon ready, if I ask nicely do you think I could have a taste?


Spinach

Spinach Roll
Marija from Palachinka


Spinach becomes a work of art in the hands of Marija as she creates this Spinach roll filled with a mixture of fetta, boiled egg yolk, sour cream and ham. I can see this on many a menu come Thanksgiving or Christmas time.



Sweet Potatoes

Soy Glazed Sweet Potatoes with Sesame Seeds
Kalyn from Kalyn's Kitchen



Kalyn also has Thanksgiving on her mind with this low-glycemic and south beach friendly dish of soy-glazed sweet potatoes. The sweet potatoes are marinated in a mix of verjuice (or rice vinegar or mirin), garlic puree, soy and a dash of sesame oil.



Various herbs

Aromatic Salt and Homemade Stock Cube
Cinzia from Cindystar



Cinzia introduces us to her "two greatest friends" and I think they are the type of friends we should all have. The first is homemade stock and Cinzia provides instructions on how to make it with a thermomixer, a pressure cooker and on the stove-top. The second is aromatic salt which not only keeps those herb flavours going during the winter, they also make a great gift too.


Leek, Tomato and Rosemary Frittata
Marillyn from Just Making Noise


It's a warm welcome to Marillyn as she joins us for her first WHB. Combining tomatoes which in tropical Costa Rica are always in season, leek and rosemary she creates a nutritious and flavoursome frittata which can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch or dinner.


As-you-like-it Egg Curry
Sra from When My Soup Came Alive


Sra brings the process of decluttering into the kitchen and uses all those odds and ends found in her fridge and pantry to create a classic egg curry.


We now come to end of the recap and time to announce the winner of Ian Hemphill's Spice and Herb Bible.


All names were placed in a hat and Paalo did the honours in drawing the lucky recipient which is.......

ANNA from Anna's Cool Finds!

Congratulations!

Thanks again to all who have taken part this week and every week and I hope to see you back as we move into our fifth year of Weekend Herb Blogging.