Foodie Friday -- April 4th

 Welcome to Foodie Friday, where great cooks share their recipes.

This morning, when I was walking the Yorkies, I was lost in my thoughts. Then I noticed that my pansies had bounced back after the bitter winter, and I couldn't resist picking a few blossoms. I stepped inside and made a salad. Pansies are my favorite edible flower. Their velvety texture melts on the tongue, and the taste is fresh and subtle, almost oniony, but not quite. They will never overpower a recipe. 

 William Shakespeare probably wasn't handy in the kitchen, but he had the lowdown on edible flowers. Tucked away in Hamlet, you'll find this quote: 

"Pray you, love, remember. And there is pansies, that's for thoughts."

 Pansy-Pistachio Salad with a Raspberry Vinaigrette

Fresh greens
Raspberries (or your favorite berry)

Organic pansies

Chopped chives

Chopped green onions

Chopped pistachios

Bottled or homemade raspberry vinaigrette

Assemble, drizzle the vinaigrette over everything, and enjoy. This salad pairs well with a roasted spring chicken or grilled salmon; but it's delicious by itself for a light lunch.
Printable Recipe

Let's take a look at Last Week's Most-Viewed Recipes.

#1 Easy Braided Breakfast Pastry

If you are looking for a flaky, easy breakfast pastry, you'll love this recipe by Will Cook for Smiles.

Will Cook for Smiles

#2 Recipes with Bob's Red Mill 
Cathy has made some divine recipes with Bob's Red Mill products--almond lace wafers; pear frangipani galette, and PB and J macaroons. 

Wives with Knives

#3  Three Ingredient Scones
Who can resist a scone recipe that calls for three ingredients? Don't the scones
look delicious?

Life in My Empty Nest

Note: You are cordially invited to join the Novel Bakers for Beatrix Potter Week. It kicks off Monday, April 7th at Home Is Where the Boat Is and ...a quiet life. Jain, Mary Mc, and I will
share recipes and Many Bunniful Things. Hope you'll stop by for a visit.
. . .
If you are contributing a recipe to this week's Foodie Friday, locate the blue Inlinkz icon in the lower, left-hand portion of this post. Click on the icon and follow the directions. After you complete the process, you will see a red "x" beside your name. This allows you to delete your link if you made an error; the red "x" is visible to you only.

You can read a complete guide to this linky party HERE.  It's pretty simple. You don't need to "like" our Facebook page or be a follower of this blog to participate. Nor do you need to include a backlink or Foodie Friday button in your post. Add as many recipes as you wish, old or new. If you love food, we love you.

Pretty please do not pin images from the FF thumbnails. Visit the source blogs.

   

If you'd like to share your food photos--or photos of other FF participants on Pinterest, join the Pinterest foodie board, Consuming Passions. Leave a message on the most recent "pin" if you'd like your name added to the list.

Every Friday, we are joined at this big, virtual table--thank you for stopping by today. I'm grateful to all of you who spend your days cooking. I'm grateful to old and new friends who contribute recipes every week. I'm grateful to friends who leave a comment. I'm grateful for the silent folks, because you are brought here by your love of all things culinary. We are food people. And that's a marvelous thing. 

Until next time,

Have a great day!

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Foodie Friday: Summer Lunch

Welcome to Foodie Friday!

I'm so happy to see you.

Lunch is ready, simple, summery fare on the lawn.

Won't you join me?

I love to assemble picnic items. I began with a yellow-and-gray vintage tablecloth, a black tole tray, and a wire beverage caddy. I used a lidded jar for the salad--a great way to transport food (and it will keep the bugs away). I mixed French glassware with paper plates, napkins, and plastic cutlery.

 

A peek at the caddy--love the swirls and loops.

 

I made an apple-walnut salad and a raspberry vinaigrette.

These jars can be found in all sizes. Aren't they just perfect for potato salad, lemon bars, muffins, relish, and even fried chicken?

 

Ham and cheese croissants are easy,

and they taste so fresh on a warm June day.

When I think of picnics, I imagine the outdoor teas in English novels--huge baskets, a wash of green lawn and shrubs, and Wedgwood-blue sky . Here in Tennessee, the sky is just the same but with with different botanica:
a purple butterfly bush, red roses, shrubs.

 

Are you ready to eat?

  

 Happy recipe hunting!

 To add your recipe to the Foodie Friday linky party, look below for the blue Inlinkz frog. Add your permalink and select an image. It may take a few seconds for the entry to process. A red X on your photo allows you to delete your entry if you make an error. The Foodie Friday badge (or button) is located on the right sidebar (see below), and you can add the code to your FF post. If this is your first time to participate in Foodie Friday, a tutorial is available.

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