Black Bean, Rice, and Cilantro Salad Is Renamed My Favorite Herb Salad

It was in December of 2005 that I officially declared that cilantro was my very favorite herb. That was Weekend Herb Blogging #9, and now, forty-three more weekends have gone by and cilantro is still my favorite. Even though cilantro is undoubtedly the most controversial herb, I've loved it since the first time I tried it. Wikipedia claims the way the taste of cilantro is perceived and the resulting love or hate relationship people have with the herb may be due to genetics. If so, I have the cilantro gene.

In fact I can only think of two bad things about cilantro. (1) I can't seem to grow it at all in my garden, which means I don't get to use it as often as other herbs . (2) It doesn't keep well in the refrigerator. Both of those are obstacles to cilantro consumption which can be easily overcome, as I've proven with a lot of cilantro-loving recipes. You can see some of my favorites in a minute, but for the one year anniversary of Weekend Herb Blogging, it seemed like a new recipe was in order.

This recipe is one I created about 15 years ago when my friends Jeanne Zeigler and Kip Greene got married. In those days I called it Jeanne's Wedding Salad and it was a big hit with clients at Lake Powell, back when I was catering houseboat trips. This isn't a quick recipe, but it's really ultra delicious, and I still have friends who request it for parties. Now that I'm eating the South Beach Diet way, I made the salad lower on the glycemic index by adding a bit more veggies and using Uncle Ben's Converted rice, which is the lowest glycemic index type of white rice. For the special occasion we're celebrating, I'm renaming it My Favorite Herb Salad.

My Favorite Herb Salad or
Black Bean, Rice, and Cilantro Salad
(8-10 servings, recipe created by Kalyn, for South Beach Diet this would be phase two for a small serving or phase three if it was the main part of the meal)

2 cups Uncle Ben's Converted rice (for South Beach diet) or Basmati Rice
1 T fresh lemon juice
4 C chicken stock or canned chicken broth

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained well (or use 2 cups cooked beans)
2 red peppers, chopped in 1/2 inch pieces
1 green pepper, chopped in 1/2 inch pieces
1 yellow pepper, chopped in 1/2 inch pieces
(use any combination of colors)
1/2 cup chopped green onions (scallions)
1 cup (or more!) finely chopped cilantro

Dressing:
1/3 cup peanut oil or vegetable oil (not olive oil)
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1 T red wine vinegar
1 T ground cumin
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T Spike seasoning
1 tsp. chile powder
1/2 tsp. coarse ground black pepper

Put canned beans in a colander and rinse well until no foam remains. Let beans drain while you cook the rice, chop ingredients and prepare dressing. (If they still seem wet, blot dry with paper towel. Beans you cook yourself are great if you have the extra time. You need 1 - 2 cups cooked beans.)

In heavy pan with a tight-fitting lid, bring chicken stock and lemon juice to a boil, stir in rice, bring back to a boil, then cover and cook on very low heat for 25 minutes without lifting lid. After 25 minutes, check to see if all water is absorbed. As soon as the bottom of the pan doesn't have any stock remaining when you stir the rice, turn off heat and let rice sit about 10 minutes. Then remove lid and let rice come to room temperature before proceeding with recipe. (It can be cooled in refrigerator if you're in a hurry.)

Mix dressing and chop peppers, green onions, and cilantro while rice cools. When it is room temperature, combine all ingredients and chill 1-2 hours before serving. this will keep fairly well in the refrigerator for a day or two, but it probably won't last that long.

More reasons to vote for cilantro:

Very simple to make, and one of my most photogenic cilantro recipes is Asian Cucumber Salad with Cilantro and Vidalia Onions.

Chicken, Black Bean and Cilantro Soup was the recipe I made for the WHB post where I first declared my love for cilantro. I've made this for a number of New Year's Day soup parties, and it's always been a hit.

When there was a block party on my street, I made Black Bean and Pepper Salad with Cilantro and Lime. This recipe was inspired by My Favorite Herb Salad, and would be a phase one option for South Beach Dieters.

I rededicated myself to cilantro for Weekend Herb Blogging #43, with Garbanzo, Tomato, and Cilantro Salad with Lime and Chile Dressing.

Grilled Fusion Chicken is a dish where cilantro is not the main thing going on, but if you're a cilantro fan like me, you'll love the way the cilantro compliments the flavor of this chicken.

Tomorrow night is when we announce the most preferred herb and officially recap Weekend Herb Blogging #52. If you're a food blogger who wants to particpate in the special event, you still have time. Send your link to kalynskitchen AT comcast DOT net by 3:00 on Sunday.

Not a food blogger or don't have time to post about your favorite herb? No problem, just leave a comment telling what your favorite is and we'll add your vote to the tallies. Now, here's how it's going:

Favorite Herb Tally Update
(I'll probably stop udating this count after today so it doesn't ruin the surprise on Sunday.)

shiso 1
basil 2 3 4 6
oregano 1
dill 1
thyme 1
cilantro 2 3 4 6 79 11
rosemary 1 2 3
Chives 1
tarragon 1 2 3
parsley 1 2
mint 1
sage 1 2 3
lemon verbena 1
Greek bay laurel 1
scallion 1
salt and pepper (they know it's not an herb) 1
Garlic 1
catnip 1 (from Sher's cat)

Food Recipes Cooking South Beach Diet Recipes

Low Carb Recipes Low Glycemic Index Recipes
Weekend Herb Blogging

Who's Hosting Weekend Herb Blogging?

Weekend Herb Blogging is a food blogging event sponsored by Kalyn's Kitchen where each week food bloggers around the world photograph and write about herbs, plants, veggies, or flowers, and on the weekend, we publish a Recap with links to all the posts.

For a long time WHB was always hosted by Kalyn. Then starting with week 33, we opened up the opportunity for other people to host. Now, there are so many people wanting to take a turn as host, that Kalyn is going to host only on the first Sunday of the month. (Edit, December 2007: Right now there are hosts signed up for more than six months in advance, so starting January 2008 I'm going to start hosting every third month for a while to give more people a chance to participate. If the list should get a lot shorter, I will go back to hosting once a month.)

This post is where to check to see who's hosting Weekend Herb Blogging each weekend. It will become a permanent link in the sidebar of Kalyn's Kitchen.

To participate, check the rules for Weekend Herb Blogging, Then wrote your post and e-mail your permalink to the host by 3:00 Sunday, Utah time. (We keep the time the same no matter who's hosting so people can remember what it is in their time zone.) Be sure to include a link to that week's host with the words Weekend Herb Blogging, and include your preferred name and your location in the e-mail.

(Hosts have the option of posting the Recap on Sunday or Monday, depending on which is best for them.)


May 2008

May 12 - May 18
The host will be Gay from A Scientist in the Kitchen.
Send your entries to mgccarrillo (at) gmail (dot) com

May 19 - May 25
The host will be Cate from Sweetnicks.
Send your entries to Sweetnicksplace (at) aol (dot) com

May 26 - June 1
The host will be Wandering Chopsticks.
Send your entries to wanderingchopsticks (at) gmail (dot) com

June 2008

June 2 - June 8
The host will be Maninas from Maninas: Food Matters.
Send your entries to maninas (dot) wordpress (at) yahoo (dot) co (dot) uk

June 9 - June 15
The host will be Astrid from Paulchen's Food Blog.
Send your entry to foodblog (at) paulchens (dot) org

June 16 - June 22
The host will be Joanna from Joanna's Food.
Send your entry to joannacary (at) ukonline (dot) co (dot) uk




Want to be the host?
If you'd like to try having a turn at hosting Weekend Herb Blogging, send an e-mail to kalynskitchen (at) comcast (dot) net and we will add you to the list. Normally there are people signed up quite a few months in advance, but Kalyn will confirm the date with host about a month prior to get a date which will work for you. People are welcome to host more than once if they wish.

Tags:
Weekend Herb Blogging

Weekend Herb Blogging Year in Review: Weeks 41-51 and a Recipe

This is the last of a series of year-in-review posts to celebrate reaching week 52 of Weekend Herb Blogging, and I don't know if I could have gone on another day! Check out the first four reviews if you missed them. It seems like weeks since I've posted a new recipe, but I'm including one with this post from a past Weekend Herb Blogging. If you want more, there are plenty in the recipe archives.

If you've been following the tallies at the end of these posts, are you as surprised as I am at how the favorite herb votes are coming in all spread across the board? I would never have predicted it. If you're not a blogger, don't be shy about leaving a comment to get your vote in.

Brown and Wild Rice Salad with
Snow Peas and Peppers
(about 8 servings, recipe created by Kalyn)
(This was my recipe for Weekend Herb Blogging # 45)

2 cups brown and wild rice mix
5 cups chicken stock or water
(omit if cooking rice in rice cooker)
2 cups snow peas, cut in 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup sliced green onion (or less)
1 large red bell pepper, cut in 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup chopped pecans (or less)

Dressing:
1/2 cup peanut oil
2 T rice vinegar (not seasoned vinegar)
2 T soy sauce
2 tsp. Splenda (for South Beach) or sugar
1 tsp. garlic puree (also called ground garlic)
1 tsp. ginger puree (also called ground ginger, could also use grated ginger root)

Cook brown rice in chicken stock or water for time recommended on package, about 55 minutes for most brands. Be sure all water is absorbed or drain rice well and let cool.

Cut snow peas, red peppers, and green onions and coarsely chop pecans. Mix dressing ingredients. At least one hour before serving, put rice in large bowl and gently mix in snow peas, peppers, and onions. Add enough dressing to moisten well (you may not need all the dressing.) Let salad chill for an hour or longer. Just before serving, stir in pecans and more dressing if the salad seems dry. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Now, let's see the last 11 weeks of herb blogging that led up to the celebration we're having this week.

Week 41: Lots of Newcomers!

This may be the most new participants we've ever had. First Rachelle from Accidental Gardener does beans and polenta and Kitchen Queen writes about The Glories of Basil. Then Glenna from a Fridge Full of Food starts everyone craving Chimichurri Sauce. JMom from In our Kitchen is also new with a great post about Pickled Beets with Dill. Mandira from Ahaar makes Pasta Primavera with lots of herbs, and Doodles from Peanut Butter Etoufee does Asian Style Coleslaw with Cilantro. Besides having a lot of participants, I guess George Clooney visiting Sher is the biggest news this week. No movie stars at my house, but I was cooking spagetti squash.

Week 42: In New York City
This week's host was the fabulous Paz from The Cooking Adventures of Chef Paz, who did another one of those great recaps with photos. There were a lot of entries, so check out part one and part two over at Paz's place to see what was happening.

Week 43: Interesting Topics but No New Bloggers
Who knows why these things go in cycles, but this week there were no new bloggers, but people coming back had very interesting ingredients. There were posts about lemon verbena cream, red currants, amaranth greens, cloudberries, mustard seeds, cuban oregano, and garlic scapes, plus some great recipes for more conventional herbs. I was making a salad with cilantro, and enjoying the summer.

Week 44: In the U.S. Capital
This week Christa from Calendula and Concrete was host and in another creative recap idea, she found flags from every state and country and posted them with the description of each post. It was so fun seeing all those flags. Head over to Calendula and Concrete for the recap of Weekend Herb Blogging #44.

Week 45: More Interesting Recipes
Again this week, no newcomers, but great recipes are still flowing in from the regulars. Some of the more unusual offerings included Lavender and Lemon Verbena Limeade, marianted feta, shishito peppers, gariguettes, and a drink called sahlep. My contribution was the salad featured at the beginning of this post, and I was gearing up to go back to school.

Week 46: Traveling to India
Another great hosting job done this week by Anthony of Anthony's Kitchen in Mumbai, India. The guest hosts are amazing, and Anthony did photos of all the posts. Lots of participants again this week, so check out Weekend Herb Blogging #46 at Anthony's Kitchen.

Week 47: Good Food From Many Places
This week had two new food bloggers, and many interesting recipes from the regulars, who are now starting to all seem like old friends. Newcomers included Pookah from What's Cooking in Carolina, who made "fried" okra and Ange from Vicious Ange who Did Thai Pumpkin and Seafood Curry. Other interesting offerings included pumpkin seeds, pickled shallots, eggplant stew, carrot fritters, celery root and a Mexican herb called Pepicha. I blogged about How to Freeze Fresh Herbs, which has turned into one of my most popular posts.

Week 48: Genie Hosts from the Road
When I mentioned having guest hosts I was pleased by how many people were eager to do it. Genie, The Inadvertent Gardener turned out to be planning to go out of town, but even though I offered to change her to another time, she said she'd be happy to host from the road. What a great job she did! It was Labor Day Weekend in the U.S. but there were still lots of great entries, so head over to Genie's to read about Weekend Herb Blogging #48.

Week 49: Looking Ahead
By the time week 49 came around, lots of people were realizing we were heading up on week 52 and I had started giving hints for people to think about their favorite herbs. There were a few new herb bloggers, Megan from Chez Megane in Paris did two great salmon recipes, PatL from Up a Creek Without a PatL made braised red radishes, Shaheen from Malabar Spices offered Spicy Chicken Kabobs, and Scott from Real Epicurean featured Wild Mushrooms on Toast. There were some who said it wouldn't ever happen, but I actually featured a dessert that week.

Week 50: We're in Italy!
Piperita of the Kitchen Pantry opened her post of the recap of Weekend Herb Blogging #50 with a great collection of photos from all the posts like a patchwork quilt of deliciousness. It was a great collection of recipes again, so check it out.

Week 51: We're All Old Friends By Now
An amazing collection of old friends came together for week 51, with lots of people anticipating what they would be blogging about for the favorite herb event the next week. There was one new herb blogger, Anna from Anna's Cool Finds who wrote about Secrets of the Yamaimo. Some other interesting foods were parsnips, quince, silverbeet, quinoa, and rhubarb.

That is the end of the review of a year of fun times blogging about interesting plants, herbs, veggies, and flowers. If I've missed someone or gotten things wrong, please let me know or chalk it up to too much information. I may have missed new participants the weeks I didn't host, but I hope people will follow the links to find them.

Now the weekend is finally here, and you have a couple more days to write about your very favorite herb and send me the link. If you're a food blogger who wants to particpate in the special event, send your link to kalynskitchen AT comcast DOT net by 3:00 on Sunday, Utah time.

Not a food blogger or don't have time to post about your favorite herb? No problem, just leave a comment telling what your favorite is and we'll add your vote to the tallies. Now, here's how it's going:

Favorite Herb Tally Update
(I'll probably stop udating this count after Saturday so it doesn't ruin the surprise on Sunday.)

shiso 1
basil 2 3 4 6
oregano 1
dill 1
thyme 1
cilantro 2 3 4
rosemary 1
Chives 1
tarragon 1 2
parsley 1
mint 1
sage 1
verbena 1
Greek bay laurel 1
scallion 1
salt and pepper (they know it's not an herb) 1
Garlic 1
catnip 1 (from Sher's cat)

Food Recipes Cooking South Beach Diet Recipes
Low Carb Recipes Low Glycemic Index Recipes
Weekend Herb Blogging

Weekend Herb Blogging Year In Review: Weeks 31-40 and a Recipe

(Still celebrating fifty-two weeks of Weekend Herb Blogging, but if you're coming here looking for South Beach Diet recipes, check out the easy recipe below and those in the recipe archives.)

Broccoli and Radish Salad with Gorgonzola
(original recipe from Kalyn, 4 servings)
This was my recipe for WHB #38

6 cups broccoli flowerets, cut into bite sized pieces
2 cups radishes, trimmed and cut into fourths lengthwise
1/4 cup Blue Cheese salad dressing (use more or less to taste)
1/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
salt, fresh ground pepper to taste

In large bowl combine broccoli and radishes. Toss with blue cheese dressing, add Gorgonzola, and toss again. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Now, for those reliving the memories of Weekend Herb Blogging, after a lot of details about weeks 1-10 and weeks 11-20, starting with weeks 21-30, I'm just sharing the highlights. It's all leading up to the big event on Sunday when we post a great collection of herb recipes food bloggers have created. If you're a food blogger, write about your very favorite herb and send the link by Sunday to be included. Not a food blogger? Leave a comment telling us what herb you're voting for.

Week 31: It's May!

May was finally here and only one new herb blogger this week, Gabriella from My Life as a Reluctant Housewife, who wrote about Lavender Lemon Chicken. Memorable ingredients from regulars included arugula pesto, dandelion marmalade, and blueberry mint granita. I was blogging about sage, and in the garden, my herbs were just starting to grow.

Week 32: Mother's Day
This week was Mother's Day in the U.S. so a lot of herb bloggers had other plans, but there were still some interesting posts. We learned about decorticated chickpeas, guava or guaba, fiddleheads, rucola, freezing coconut, tree beans, and fava beans. In Salt Lake I was not cooking, but instead planting my garden, so I showed photos of the process.

Week 33: WHB Goes on the Road
After 33 weeks, I needed a weekend off now and then so I announced guest hosts, starting with my great friend Ilva from Lucullian Delights for next week. There were three new bloggers, Genie The Inadvertent Gardener writing about Lamb Burgers with Sage, Christa from Calendula and Concrete with Chamomile Tea, and Vaishili from Happy Burp writing about Long Beans. I made cherry tomato salad which I served with tuna, and dreamed about garden tomatoes.

Now, a confession from Kalyn. If you're wondering how I could write reviews of all the weeks, it's because of my WHB notebook, where I took notes as I visited each post so it was easier to remember details for the recap. But now we have guest hosts and no notes, so you'll have to visit each host's site to see what was new.

Week 34: Ilva is Hosting, in Italy!
For Weekend Herb Blogging #34, the incomparable Ilva from Lucullian Delights was host. For me, it was fun to see how other people did the recap, and Ilva opened with an array of her wonderful photos. Give a big welcome to Neil, Haalo, and Anna, who were new participants, and head over to Ilva's to see what people were blogging about that week.

Week 35: The Green Blog Project
This week I had just heard about the Green Blog Project, and I urged people to participate. Gattina was a new participant, from a blog by the same name, and she made a Chrysanthemum, Mint, and Tea Ice Bowl. Several newcomers from last week were back, and I was using oregano from my garden in a cucumber and tomato salad.

Week 36: Cate is Hosting
Cate of Sweetnicks takes her turn as host for Weekend Herb Blogging #36, and does a recap with photos! I knew guest hosts was a great idea. Ivonne, GiniAnn, Nupur, and Sean were all new participants. Lots of old friends were back too, making this a big recap. Head over to Sweetnicks to see some great entries if you missed them.

Week 37: Father's Day
Since this was Father's Day you might think there weren't many participants, but actually this was another huge recap. Three new participants this week, Meeta from What's For Lunch Honey who did 100 Kisses for my Couscous, Heather from Eating for One who was planting a herb garden, and Crystal and Ryan from Cafe Cyan who did Spinach and Garlic Scapes Pizza. Other new topics were lemongrass tea, parsley root, rose petal jelly, garlic scapes, fried sage, amaltas flowers, kaffir lime, mint pesto and mishti doi.

Week 38: Traveling to France
Weekend Herb Blogging #38 was hosted by Virginie of Absolutely Green, who amazed us all when she collected photos of the city where each participant lived and published them, along with the photo of the dish. New bloggers included William from Never Trust a Skinny Chef and Another Outspoke Woman from Confessions of a Food Nazi. Check out part one, part two, and part three of her amazing recap.

Week 39: Fourth of July Weekend
It was a holiday inthe U.S., but apparently a lot of people were still home cooking. LG from Mango and Ginger, home of the Green Blog Project, was new this week, urging us to guess an herb. Also new was Chrispy of Experimentation in Taste, writing about Bok Choy or Pak Choi Gratin. I was blogging about parsley and making Middle Eastern Tomato Salad.

Week 40: Gabriella is Hosting
Gabriella True from My Life as a Reluctant Housewife was hosting this week, with a beautiful recap with photos. By now you can see that the guest hosts are putting me to shame! Ginny from La Petite Chinoise was a new blogger this week. Head over to Gabriella's place to see what was new for Weekend Herb Blogging #40.

Whew! Are we there yet? Well, thankfully it's getting close with just weeks 41-51 to go until the weekend when I'll post about my favorite herb on Saturday and then on Sunday night I'll post the recap with the final results of what the most preferred herb is. If you're a food blogger who wants to particpate in the special event, you have a few more days. Send your link to kalynskitchen AT comcast DOT net by 3:00 on Sundy.

Not a food blogger or don't have time to post about your favorite herb? No problem, just leave a comment telling what your favorite is and we'll add your vote to the tallies. Now, here's how it's going:

Favorite Herb Tally Update
Here is the current herb tally, since it won't be fun if I'm the only one who knows how the voting is going!

shiso 1
basil 2 3
oregano 1
dill 1
thyme 1
cilantro 2
rosemary 1
Chives 1
tarragon 1
parsley 1
mint 1

Food Recipes Cooking South Beach Diet Recipes
Low Carb Recipes Low Glycemic Index Recipes
Weekend Herb Blogging

Weekend Herb Blogging Year In Review: Weeks 21-30, and a Recipe

Here at Kalyn's Kitchen we're still celebrating reaching week 52 of Weekend Herb Blogging, but I know some of you are looking for South Beach Recipes so, I'm starting with one of my favorites from past WHB posts. If this isn't the recipe for you, there are plenty more in the recipe archives.

Spagetti with Italian Sausage and Arugula
(2-3 servings, can be doubled or tripled)
(This was my recipe for WHB #23. For South Beach Dieters, this would be phase 2 or 3 if you use Dreamfield's pasta.)

2 links (about 1/2 pound) turkey Hot Italian Sausage
2 tsp. olive oil
4 oz. (1/4 box) Dreamfields spagetti
3 oz. arugula, preferably organic
(I used Earthbound Farms Organic Baby Arugula)
1 tsp. finely minced garlic (or less, to taste)
1/2 cup pasta cooking water
2 T fresh squeezed lemon juice
(I buy lemons at Costco, squeeze them, and freeze the juice)
parmesan cheese for serving, preferably freshly grated

In nonstick frying pan, heat olive oil, then squeeze sausage out of casing into pan and brown well, breaking up into small pieces as it cooks. While sausage is cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add spagetti and cook 8-9 minutes, or until barely done and still *al dente* (with a little bite to it.)

Put arugula into large bowl, glass or crockery is best. When sausage is well browned, drain if there is very much fat, then pour sausage over arugula. Put frying pan back on stove, turn heat to very low, add garlic and saute about 30 seconds. Add 1/4 cup pasta cooking water and lemon juice and heat 2 minutes.

When spagetti seems done, scoop out 1/4 cup of pasta cooking water in case you need it, then drain pasta well and put in bowl with arugula and sausage. Let sit 2 minutes to wilt arugula. Then add water/lemon juice/pasta water mixture from frying pan and toss all ingredients together. If it seems dry, add a bit more of the reserved pasta cooking water. Serve hot, with parmesan cheese over top.

Now, on to the year in review. If you've read the year in review posts for weeks 1-10 and weeks 11-20, you realize no one is going to want that much detail for the next 32 weeks! The first 20 weeks was enough to see that (1) there are a lot of people doing herb blogging each week, and (2) they are writing about some pretty interesting foods. From now on, I'll be just sharing when someone blogs about a new ingredient or a new herb blogger joins in. If you want to know more, you can follow the links. (Thanks again to my talented brother for the daily post headers.)

Week 21: We're Becoming Friends
Lots of people are becoming regulars by now. There were three new herb bloggers, Fiber of 28 Cooks offered Hot Pepper and Garlic Jelly, Marianne the Unemployed Cook did Pork Tenderloin "in Crosta" and Sher of What Did You Eat showed up for the first time with some Split Pea Soup with Rosemary Croutons. I wrote about garlic, making Roasted Broccoli with Garlic.

Week 22: Oscar Night

I confessed to posting early so I could watch the Oscars. We had our first herb blogger from South America when Dan from Salt Shaker wrote about Llajwa. A new Australian herb blogger, Plum from My Favorite Plum had parsley dancing in the wind. Also new were EJM from Toronto who made Waffles with Rosemary Honey and Sara from Cucina Bella who told us all about basil. A very creative entry from Jennifer from Weekly Dish, who had Oscar night with Chocolate Mint Crash Martinis. I was still looking for broccoli rabe, but managed to score some broccolini this week.

Week 23: Counting Down Until Spring
An interesting offering about Yuzu, a type of Japanese citrus fruit. There were four new herb bloggers, Spicehut from Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice who did Spinach Pulao, Riana from Garlic Breath who did Mussels in Cream Sauce with French Tarragon, Gini from Salt and Pepper with a post about vanilla beans, and Collin from See, Sip, Taste, Hear who blogged about thyme. I wrote about one of my favorites, arugula, which I used to Make Spagetti with Italian Sausage and Arugula, above.

Week 24: More New Plants

New this week was my buddy Alanna from a Veggie Venture, who blogged about cabbage sprouts, Laurie from Slowly She Turned, who wrote about Cream of Dandelion Soup, and Fran from Flavors who made Bok Choi Colcannon. Other bloggers wrote about coconut water, nettle tea, Chervil Soup, mustard cress, and the Ugli fruit. A new blog came from a regular herb blogger when Farmgirl started In My Kitchen Garden. And finally, I cooked Napa Cabbage for the first time.

Week 25: Still Hoping for Spring
For week 25 the only new herb blogger was Erin from Erin Eats in Utah, who wrote about making vanilla extract. Erin hasn't blogged much lately, and I hope she's ok. New topics were Za'atar, salad burnett and Stevia. I was *finally* writing about broccoli rabe or rapini, and raved about Penne with Garbanzo Beans, Sausage, and Broccoli Rabe.

Week 26: It's April
This is week 26, which means we were halfway to week 52. There were four new bloggers, Shalini from Samayal blogged about wheatgrass juice, Stacey from Just Braise did Pomelo Salad, Luv2Cook from Cooking Medley did Spagetti Squash Lettuce Wraps, and Surfindaave from the Serendipitous Chef rides the wave in and does Pan Roasted Salmon Fillet with Sorrel Sauce. I was doing more pasta and greens, this time Mustard Greens.

Week 27: More and More Participants
More new particpants this week. Tony of Tony's Food Chronicles was planting herbs, Piperita from The Kitchen Pantry blogged about salted herb cookies, Christine from Christine Cooks made a great sounding squash soup with basil, Karin from The Intrepid Sentimentalist did Rosemary and Garlic Chicken, and Strata from My Bay Area Garden showed off her herb garden. There were posts about fresh epazote, pandan leaves, Thai bird chilis, and sugarcane juice, and I was still doing greens, blogging about spinach this week.

Week 28: Easter
It was Easter, so no new participants this week. Interesting foods blogged about included wild purple artichokes, red sorrel or Gorgura, and pomelo. Herb blogging regular Ed sent an entry from Vietnam, and I was traveling so I didn't post anything but the recap.

Week 29: Asparagus Aspirations

This week's recap opened with a PSA for Asparagus Aspirations, the event where Seriously Good had a running post of asparagus recipes. There were two new herb bloggers, Marc from Mental Masala wrote about dry curry mushrooms and Jeanne from Uncle Tom's Garden talked about harvesting sage. There were also posts about snakegourd curry, buckwheat grains, green garlic, and Mitsuba. I was recovering from vacation so I just showed flowers that week.

Week 30: Still Discovering New Plants!
Two new herb bloggers this week, first Helen from Beyond Salmon with a great post full of information about using herbs, then Nandita from Saffron Trail talking about a South Indian chutney made from ridge gourd. Other new ingredients were Agretti, corky-fruited water dropwort, bilwa or Belfruit, and squash blossoms. I was writing about hearts of palm, one of my favorite salad ingredients.

Favorite Herb Tally Update
Here is the current herb tally, since it won't be fun if I'm the only one who knows how the voting is going! I'll update periodically if I receive new entries.
shiso 1
basil 2 3
oregano 1
dill 1
thyme 1
cilantro 2
rosemary 1

Don't forget, the year-in-review posts are all leading up to the big event on Sunday when we announce what food bloggers have chosen as their very favorite herb. If you're a food blogger, write about your very favorite herb and send the link by 3:00 Sunday, Utah time, to be included. (Early entries greatly appreciated!)

Not a food blogger? Leave a comment telling us what herb you're voting for.

Food Recipes Cooking South Beach Diet Recipes
Low Carb Recipes Low Glycemic Index Recipes
Weekend Herb Blogging

Weekend Herb Blogging Year in Review: Weeks 11-20

(All this week, Kalyn's Kitchen will be celebrating fifty-two weeks of Weekend Herb Blogging, but if you're coming here looking for South Beach Diet recipes, there's plenty of those in the recipe archives to keep you busy.)

Don't forget, the year-in-review posts are all leading up to the big event on Sunday when we reveal what the herb bloggers Most Preferred Herb will be. If you're a food blogger, write about your very favorite herb and send the link by Sunday to be included. You can use any of the year-in-review headers or the WHB icon if you want. Not a food blogger? Leave a comment telling us what herb you're voting for.

Yesterday, I told you how Weekend Herb Blogging started as a joke, and about some of the first food bloggers to join in the fun. Today I'm going to spotlight weeks 11-20. As I mentioned, I decided early on it would be impossible to feature particular posts, since there are so many great ones. Instead I'm giving you links to the weekly recaps where you can find the individual posts I'm describing. I hope you'll visit them and see ones you missed.

Week 11: WHB Gets an Archive Page

It was close to Christmas, but there were still a few dedicated herb bloggers. From Toronto, Ruth posted recipes for appetizers with herbs. Rokh talked about Spicy Fish in Tamarind Sauce, and Squeezeweasel cooked Gnocchi alla Romana in a Herbed Butter. Paz made Red Cabbage Salad in New York City. Cookiecrumb was talking about her Greek Laurel Tree, and I was writing about fresh bay leaves. Ilva and Mrs. D. were showing off their roses. This was the weekend that the Weekend Herb Blogging archives were created, and WHB seemed destined to be here to stay.

Week 12: The Day After Christmas
It was Christmas week, so only a couple of people were herb blogging, which meant a recap with photos. Paz blogged a little about holly and showed us some for sale in New York. A new herb blogger, Stephanie from The Feast Crusade shared a recipe for mutton curry, and I chose a photo of her red and green okra for the recap. (Anyone know why she's not blogging?) I wrote about the Ponderosa Lemon that one of my students had given me, and of course, I had to sneak in a little mention of Kalyn's Kitchen Christmas Podcast, since I was so proud of it.

Week 13: Happy New Year
The next week was a brand new year and only a few people were herb blogging, but there were some good entries. Stephanie was back with Lotus Seeds, Paz, blogged about mistletoe, and Ilva showed us the green hellebore plant. Cookiecrumb mentioned her still-surviving tomatoes (she was rotating her blog headers, and I was lobbying for my favorite.) Ed amazed us with his giant bay tree and huge rosemary bush, while Sweetnicks was cooking mussels. A new herb blogger, Sheela from Indian Spice Trail, wrote about curry leaves. I had no herbs left and was writing about black-eyed peas.

Week 14: Two Herb Bloggers are Finalists
This recap started with the announcement that Squeezeweasel from Gastronomy Domine and Kalyn had both been named finalists in The Best of Blogs. We were excited that two herb bloggers were nominated. This week Cookiecrumb praised parsley, and Rokh wrote about uses of the chrysanthemum in Asia. A new herb blogger was Cyndi from Cookin' with Cyndi who talked about the pincushion plant. Paz was making Soft Boiled Eggs with Asparagus and Ilva was cooking Oven Baked Cherry Tomatoes with Goat Cheese and Olives. Squeezeweasel wrote about garlic and her wedding bouquet. Ruth made a fabulous sounding gremolata, which I still haven't nade! Ed blogged about his tomatoes being eaten, and I settled for ginger root when broccoli rabe could not be found.

Week 15: WHB Gets an Icon!

The icon you see here first appeared in week 15, designed by my uber-talented brother, Rand, (who also did all the headers for this series of posts) and Mae from Rice and Noodles had the idea of enouraging people to use it in their posts. Mae also shared a great recipe for Pork Chops with Sage and Apples. Cookiecrumb blogged about Miner's Lettuce, and Rokh wrote about two Asian dishes using Kaffir Lime Leaves. Cyndi showed us the first tree, and Sury shared a Gujarti Carrot Recipe. Ilva had Savoy Cabbage Braised in White Wine, and Ruth's Squash Soup had morphed into pumpkin soup. There were two new herb bloggers, Andreea from Glorious Food and Wine blogged about basil and Kel from Green Olive Tree wrote about dandelion greens. Paz made Fish with Tomato Sauce, and I wrote about Anasazi Beans and a bit about the history of Southern Utah.

Week 16: Four New Herb Bloggers
This week there were four new herb bloggers! Grace from The Kitchen Journal wrote about Grilled Fish with Roasted Pepper Salad, Pille from Nami Nami shared a recipe for Georgian Chicken with Herbs and Wine, The Chocolate Lady from In Mol Araan shared a picture of a bleeding heart radish, and Melissa the Cooking Diva wrote about culantro, which is NOT just another way to spell cilantro. Lots of regulars returned as well. Stephanie did a masterful job with Sea Bass Soup, and Ruth was cooking Spicy Spinach Stuffed Squash. Cyndi was all about shallots, and Sailu focused on Amaranth Leaves. Ilva made Coconut and Ricotta Cake and Paz sent three great looking recipes for peas. We had our first retirement, as Cookiecrumb did cut and dried herbs before saying she was running out of herbs. Finally, I did Barley with Dried and Fresh Mushrooms this week.

Week 17: WHB is not Just for the Weekends Any More!
This week I decided that herb blogging all week was an idea whose time had come and declared that posts could be written any time during the week. My first recap was eaten by Blogger, and I also decided shorter is better! Once again, there were lots of great sounding recipes. Ruth featured a Mediterranean Omelet and Ilva did Salad with Fish, Rucola, Pine Nuts, and Herb Vinaigrette. There were two new herb bloggers, Leera from Myriad Tastes writing about Rice with Dill Leaves, and Felicia from The Web Sorceress Cooks doing Ginger recipes. Stephanie was celebrating the Chinese New Year with Hou Xi Fatt Choy soup, and Ed was having a Weekend Zucchini Emergency. Paz made a tasty sounding Calderada de Galinha and Mae talked about Pork with Holy Basil. Squeezeweasel was visiting Angelesey Abbey Gardens, while Heather was photographing red roses. Finally, The Chocolate Lady was combining Avocados with Cilantro while I showed how to cook fresh artichokes.

Week 18: Superbowl Sunday
This week started with a new herb blogger, Crazy Gaijin from Cooking in Japan who wrote about Shiso. Also new was Heidi from Foodatista who made great sounding herb jam. Kel featured Glutinous Rice with Chicken and The Chocolate Lady wrote about Persian Herb Pie which she made to use up her cilantro. Stephanie was blogging about dill which she used to make Sabzi Polow and Ilva was making Artichoke and Potato Soup with Juniper Berries. Heather showed off photos of her Looking Glass Begonia. Brett was back, this time writing about green garlic, while up in Toronto Ruth made Roman Bean, Spinach, and Chorizo Soup. Eggy blogged about Grilled Coriander and Chile Prawns, while Ed is showing off beautiful purple basil. Sailu writes about the Drumstick Tree and a project called Trees for Life, and Farmgirl shows off her transplanted herbs. Still no herbs growing in Salt Lake City, so I was making Not-Just-For-the-Superbowl Chili.

Week 19: The Cheese Sandwich Frenzy Begins
This was the week that a writer from a well-known food magazine decided that most food blogs, including this one, were as boring as cheese sandwiches, and the cheese sandwich uproar began. Distracting as it was, the herb blogging must go on! Melissa the Cooking Diva sent a post about mangoes, but she was off to the Galapagos Islands. Andreea wrote about Steamed White Fish with Sesame, Garlic, Ginger, and Onions. In Toronto, Ruth whipped up three recipes using herbs, and over in Tuscany Ilva showed her solidarity with a Cheese Sandwich with Cicoria. Paz was making Crab and Corn Soup, The Chocolate Lady was using chard, down in Texas Heather was dividing African Violets, and in Missouri, Farmgirl Susan was talking about sprouting seeds. There were two new herb bloggers, Karina from Recipes from a Gluten-Free Goddess who shared the recipe for Steve's Favorite Basil Pesto, and B'Gina from Stalking the Waiter who talked about uses for rosemary. I was blogging about asparagus and making Warm Salmon and Asparagus Salad.

Week 20: Cheese Sandwich Day Week
The whole cheese sandwich controversy gathered even more steam in week 20, with Cheese Sandwich Day and The Cheese Sandwich Chronicles in three parts. Interestingly enough, there were more herb bloggers than ever before. Paz combined WHB and cheese sandwich day with her Cheese Sandwich with Tomato and Basil. There were seven new herb bloggers this week. Ulrike from Kuchenlatein did Sprouted Peas with Orange, Anthony from Anthony's Kitchen talked about Maroi Napakpi, ED from Is It EDible showed his beautiful orchids, Isil from Veggie Way did Mallow with Rice and Carrots, The Timid Cook from India blogged about Methi, Barbara from Tigers and Strawberries also wrote about Methi, and Ramya from Cascading Flavours showed us the Banana Blossom. The regulars also had some great posts. Ilva was cooking Radicchio di Treviso, Felicia blogged about mushrooms, Stephanie talked about Lily Bulb and Wintermelon, Ed from Tomato had some fresh figs, and Ruth made a Grilled Goat Cheese with Basil and Pancetta. B'gina came back to talk about Lemon Balm, Foodatista Heidi created Eggplant with Poblano Chiles, Farmgirl made a great sounding Spinach Soup, and I was photographing my cauliflower that week and cooking Cauliflower with Bacon and Mushrooms.

Favorite Herb Tally Update
Here is the current herb tally, since it won't be fun if I'm the only one who knows how the voting