Weekend Herb Blogging #444 Hosting

This week Carla Emilia from Un'Arbanella di Basilico will be hosting both the English and Italian editions of Weekend Herb Blogging.

If you're new to Weekend Herb Blogging or haven't joined in for a while, here's a quick recap of the rules.

You have the week to post about any herb, fruit, vegetable, seed, nut, flower - in fact if it is plant based then we'll love to hear more. Your post can be informative, spotlight a particular ingredient and/or include a recipe where your chosen ingredient is one of the primary ingredients in the recipe. I'm sure you'll easily find a post that will be perfect for WHB.

Entries must be submitted by:

• 3pm Sunday - Utah Time
• 10pm Sunday - London Time
• 11pm Sunday - Rome Time
• 7am Monday - Melbourne (Aus) Time

Send your posts to carlaemilia AT arbanelladibasilico.it
with WHB#444 in the subject line and the following details

• Your name
• Your Blog/URL
• Your Post URL
• Attach a Photo: 400px wide

Weekend Herb Blogging will be taking a short break and resume September 1st!

Apricot and Pistachio Cake

Brii from Briggishome is hosting both the English and Italian versions of Weekend Herb Blogging and this week I have another recipe that spans the seasons and will work well whether you use fresh or canned apricots.



Apricot and Pistachio Upside Down Cake

150 grams brown sugar
75 grams butter
canned apricots, drained
Cake
250 grams plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
180 grams caster sugar
200 grams melted butter, cooled
40 grams slivered pistachio
2 eggs, lightly whisked
1-2 teaspoons Orange Blossom Water
80mls milk, approx

Make the topping:

Place the butter and sugar into a small saucepan and cook over a low heat until the butter has melted and sugar has dissolved

Pour this into a prepared pan - I used a loaf tin but you use a 20cm/8inch cake tin instead.

Arrange the apricot halves neatly over the surface - canned apricots will shrink more than fresh, so be sure to pack them in.

Make the cake:

Sift the plain flour with the baking powder and place into a bowl. Add the caster sugar, eggs, Orange flower water, cooled butter and pistachios and beat, adding enough milk to create a spoonable batter.

Spread the batter carefully over the apricots and then level off the surface with a palette knife.

Bake in a preheated 160°C/320°F until golden and cooked through. If you find the surface is browning too quickly, cover with the cake pan with foil.

Once done, let it sit in the pan for a few minutes before turning out onto your serving plate.

Weekend Herb Blogging #443 Hosting

This week Brii from Briggishome will be hosting both the English and Italian versions of Weekend Herb Blogging.

If you haven't taken part or it's been a while since you last joined in, here's a quick summary of the rules.

You have the week to post about any herb, fruit, vegetable, nut, seed, flower or plant. Your post can be informative - spotlight a particular ingredient and/or include a recipe where your chosen ingredient is one of the primary ingredients in the recipe.

You can post any time during the week but remember to send your email by the following cut-off times:

• 3pm Sunday - Utah Time
• 10pm Sunday - London Time
• 11pm Sunday - Rome Time
• 7am Monday - Melbourne (Aus) Time

Send your entries to briiblog AT gmail.com
with WHB#443 in the subject line and the following:

• Your Name
• Your Blog Name/URL
• Your Post URL
• A photo: 400px wide

Blue Cornmeal Tortillas

Terry from Crumpets & Co is hosting both versions of Weekend Herb Blogging and this week I've put the tortilla press to use to make up a batch of Blue Cornmeal Tortillas.



Blue Cornmeal Tortillas
Makes 8

1 cup blue corn meal
1 cup warm water
1 cup plain flour, approx
Make the dough:

Place the cornmeal and water into the bowl and process until amalgamated. Add in about half the flour and continue to mix - if the dough is too soft, continue adding the plain flour a little at a time until a cohesive dough forms.

Remove the dough and knead briefly to form a smooth ball. Let it rest for half an hour before proceeding.

Divide the dough into 8 - roll each into a ball and then press between the palms of your hands to flatten.

Line one side of your tortilla press with a baking paper circle - this will stop the dough from sticking to the plates.

Cover with another sheet of baking paper, followed by the lid and then give it a good press.

Open, remove the tortilla and repeat the process with the remaining dough - store the tortilla between sheets of baking paper.

To cook:

Heat a dry, heavy, flat bottomed skillet over medium heat. Place a tortilla in the pan and when the edges begin to curl, turn it over and cook the other side. The tortillas will puff while cooking and you should notice that they will lighten in colour.

Place the cooked tortillas on a wire rack while you cook the rest.

Weekend Herb Blogging #442 Hosting

This week we welcome Terry from Crumpets & Co who will be hosting both the Italian and English versions of Weekend Herb Blogging.

If you're new to Weekend Herb Blogging or haven't joined in for a while, here's a quick recap of the rules.

You have the week to post about any herb, fruit, vegetable, seed, nut, flower - in fact if it is plant based then we'll love to hear more. Your post can be informative, spotlight a particular ingredient and/or include a recipe where your chosen ingredient is one of the primary ingredients in the recipe.

Entries must be submitted by:

• 3pm Sunday - Utah Time
• 10pm Sunday - London Time
• 11pm Sunday - Rome Time
• 8am Monday - Melbourne (Aus) Time

Send your posts to abbbella74 AT gmail.com
with WHB#442 in the subject line and the following details:

• Your name
• Your Blog/URL
• Your Post URL
• Attach a Photo: 400px wide

Peach and Semolina Custard Tart

Simona from Briciole is hosting both editions of Weekend Herb Blogging and this week I have a tart that you'll be able to enjoy regardless of the season. In summer, use fresh peaches while in winter, canned make an excellent alternative.



Peach and Semolina Custard Tart
[Makes 1x26cm tart]

sweet shortcrust pastry
8 peaches, cut into eighths
semolina custard
25 grams semolina
25 grams raw sugar
¾ cup milk
Make the semolina custard:
Put the milk, sugar and semolina into a saucepan and whisk over a gentle heat until the mixture is smooth. Keep stirring with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens. Place this mixture into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap - make sure the wrap resta against the custard, this will prevent a skin forming. Allow to cool before using.

Assemble the tart:
Roll out the pastry to form a circle slightly larger than your tart tin. Lay the pastry into the tin allowing the pastry to drape over the edge.

Spread the semolina custard evenly over the base - arrange the peach segments over the top - I arranged them in a series of concentric circles.

Finish by folding the excess pastry carefully over the peaches - brush the pastry with a little milk and sprinkle with a raw sugar.

Bake in a preheated 170°C oven until the pastry is golden and cooked through - about 30 minutes. Let the tart cool in the tin before removing.

To give it a glossy look, brush the tart with warmed and sieved apricot jam.

Weekend Herb Blogging #441 Hosting

This week Simona from Briciole is hosting both the English and Italian editions of Weekend Herb Blogging.

If you're new to Weekend Herb Blogging or haven't joined in for a while, here's a quick recap of the rules.

You have the week to post about any herb, fruit, vegetable, seed, nut, flower - in fact if it is plant based then we'll love to hear more. Your post can be informative, spotlight a particular ingredient and/or include a recipe where your chosen ingredient is one of the primary ingredients in the recipe.

Entries should be submitted by:

• 3pm Sunday - Utah Time
• 10pm Sunday - London Time
• 11pm Sunday - Rome Time
• 8am Monday - Melbourne (Aus) Time

Send your posts to simosite AT mac DOT com
with WHB#441 in the subject line and the following details:

• Your name
• Your Blog/URL
• Your Post URL
• Attach a Photo: 400px wide

Zucchini Falafel

Marta from Mangiare è un po'come viaggiare is hosting both versions of Weekend Herb Blogging and this week I'm utilising a vegetable that is abundant this time of year - Zucchini.

I use a lot of zucchini in my cooking but one of the more different but tasty recipes I enjoy making are these Zucchini Falafel. Perfect as a finger food or with the addition of tabouleh and pita bread you have a complete meal.



Zucchini Falafel

200 grams grated zucchini
400 gram can chickpeas, drained
1 red onion, chopped roughly
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
handful coriander leaves
breadcrumbs
Place the onion, paprika, cumin and baking powder in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add in the zucchini and chickpeas and pulse again to begin to break up the mixture. Finally add the coriander leaves and pulse just enough to finely chop them.

Place the mixture into a bowl, add a lightly whisked egg and stir it through. As the mix will be soft add just enough breadcrumbs to create a malleable mix.

Take small amounts of the mix and roll into balls - for a quicker and more even result, use a small ice cream scoop to form the falafel.

Roll each ball in breadcrumbs (I used a mix of panko and regular breadcrumbs) and set them aside.

You can store these in the fridge on paper towels if you aren't cooking them straight away.

To cook, either shallow or deep fry until golden and heated through. Drain on paper towels and eat when hot.