Eating with the Seasons: SEPTEMBER – The Round-up

Finally, here is the round-up for Eating with the Seasons: SEPTEMBER. I’m very sorry to have kept you waiting, and didn’t showcase this month’s bounty until know. For it is a bountiful month, capturing the last of the summer’s glory, and hinting at the colder months to come – the best of both worlds, really. This is what this month’s entries show, too. Read on! I just love this month’s round-up!

 

 

NORTHERN HEMISPHERE

 

 

Fruit

 

Blueberries  

 

Blueberry pancakes ~ Mansi from Fun & Food Cafe (California, USA)

‘Whole-grain Blueberry Pancakes served with sizzling butter and some maple syrup – wouldn’t that be an ideal breakfast every morning?’ asks Mansi. ‘YES’, I say. Why don’t you marry me, Mansi, and make me blueberry pancakes for breakfast every day when the blueberries are in season? Hell, I’m already married and heterosexual, but I’m sure we can work around it!

 

Plums

 

Plum Rasam ~ Mandira from Ahaar (USA)

One of the best things about September are plums! Mandira uses them in rasam, intriguingly.  She says that with fresh plums and masoor dal (red lentils), the rasam had a delicious earthiness to it. One thing to keep in mind is that the proportion of dal and plums has to be equal, warns Mandira.

 

Homemade Plum Jam ~ Divya at Dil Se (LA, California, USA)

Divya is thrilled to find out that making jam is not that difficult at all, as she makes this gorgeously-hued jam from seasonal plums.

 

 

 

Vegetables

 

Aubergines

 

 

Jiffy eggplant ~ Geeta of Payt Pooja (USA)

To say I’m a fan of aubergine would be a serious understatement. To say I’m a fan of Indian cuisine would be an even bigger understatement, so to say the least: I LOVED this dish! Aubergines (you get me interested, very interested at this point, Geeta), fried with onion, ginger and garlic, and seasoned with mustard seeds, chilies, curry leaves and coriander. I just hope I can get some aubergines at the market tomorrow!

 

Aubergine parmigiana ~ Maninas from Maninas: Food Matters (UK)

I told you I loved aubergines before, I believe (see entry above). 🙂 For me, this dish is ‘the best of aubergines’, and that’s how I called it in the post. With its layers of soft, smoky aubergine that melts in the mouth, slices of mozzarella and tomato sauce, parmigiana is an absolute star dish!

 

Butternut Squash

 

Butternut Squash and Roasted Red Pepper Soup ~ Sylvie from A Pot of Tea and a Biscuit (Manchester, UK)

Sylvie’s stunning recipe is one of those that bridges the two seasons, summer and autumn. This lovely soup is seasoned with garlic, ginger and red chili. Check out her gorgeous seasonal banner, too!

 

Cucumbers

 

Cucumber Milkshake ~ Priya at Priya’s Easy N Tasty Recipes (France)

Priya contributes an original recipe featuring cucumber in a milkshake, with vanilla and sugar. 

 

Hot Peppers

 

 

Pizza with Pizzaz: Jalapeno Pesto Pizza ~ Ricki from Diet, Dessert and Dogs (Toronto, Canada)

Ricki’s pizza is ‘a perfect combination of smooth, spice, and protein-rich seeds and beans’, using her own first time home-grown tomatoes and mysterious hot peppers. She bought them for jalapenos, but is not quite sure that this is what she got.  Ricki says this pizza was ‘enormously successful and beyond delicious.  ‘ And if you’re wondering how it all worked out with all those hot peppers, Ricky declares it left ‘a pleasant, buzzing tingle on the tongue without chafing.  ‘

 

 

Tomatoes

 

Cannellini Bean and Grape Tomato Salad with Lemon Dressing and Rosemary-Garlic Infused Olive Oil ~ Lisa from Lisa’s Kitchen (London, Ontario, Canada)

I adore this gorgeous dressing that Lisa makes, and the idea of using it with beans and tomatoes. I’d also love to try this with roasted butternut squash instead of tomatoes.

 

Fresh tomato soup with basil ~ Scrumptious from In My Box (California, USA)

This stunning soup requires minimal effort. They roast (tomatoes), you puree. They soup, you happy! But then you do a really clever thing, and add more fresh, diced tomatoes to it, that have previously been marinated in garlic, basil and slat! How genius is that?! I really love this idea!

 

 

Lazy Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho ~ Nate at House of Annie (San Jose, California, USA)

I love the pretty and colourful heirloom tomatoes on Nate’s gorgeous blog, as well as his idea for a lazy gazpacho! He just purees the ingredients together and chills the soup. Easy-peasy tomato-squeezy!

 

 

Mixed vegetables

 

Fried Rice ~ G.pavani from Food Lovers (Chennai, India)

G.pavani joins us for the first time with her creative and seasonal twist on fried rice. I’m rather intrigued by her combination of soy sauce and cumin seeds in the seasoning. Sounds like a really good idea!

 

 

SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE

 

 

Fruit

 

Murcott Mandarin

 

Murcott mandarin & coconut milk cheesecake ~ Cathy at Aficionado (Sydney, Australia)

I made up the name for this lovely dessert, as Cathy didn’t give it. Forgive me, Cathy, as it doesn’t really give it justice. It is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! It comprises of Crushed cookie cheesecake, murcot mandarin curd, candied ginger and Mystery Coconut Cake. I am very very impressed. Lost for words, actually.

 

 

Vegetables

 

Asparagus

 

Asparagus Frittata ~ Lili from Pikelet and Pie (Sydney, Australia)

Lili makes a lovely asparagus frittata to celebrate the beginning of spring in Australia. She says: “Let the ingredients speak for themselves. Cook quickly and lightly. That is what spring vegetables are all about. After the dreary depths of winter, these fresh new shoots and tender and wonderfully flavourful that they require little seasoning.”

 

 

 

Posted by Maninas on 27 September, 2008

https://maninas.wordpress.com/2008/09/27/eating-with-the-seasons-september-the-round-up/