Julia Child week continues at Foodista! Last night I prepared Julia’s appetizer of Mussels Marinated in Oil and Herbs. I was looking to cook something quick and delicious and slightly off the beaten path of weeknight dinners. If you are a shellfish fan like I am, you’ll love it. Fresh herbs, vermouth and sweet mussel meat creates one tasty dish! Although created as an appetizer, these herb-y mussels would be perfect added to a salad with some scallops or shrimp or just added to a light angel hair pasta.

Love mussels? Here are three other mussel recipes that I’m planning to make in the near future.
Sausage and Mussel Soup with Kale From imafoodblog

Cedar Planked Mussels From Steamy Kitchen Food Blog

Moules Fromage Bleu From Laura’s Best Recipes Blog

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I am constantly buying fresh herbs in those expensive plastic clam shell packs, especially in the winter. And, unfortunately, I usually end up throwing most of them away because I don’t use them quickly enough. At $2.50 – $4.00 or more a pack that’s a huge waste of money! Then, I was recently introduced to Daregal, a French company that has specialized in herbs since 1887.  What’s special about their herbs is that they are all-natural – no preservatives or salt – and frozen fresh within 3 hours of picking. Since herbs lose 75% of their flavor within 24 hours, then sit on the supermarket shelves losing even more flavor, it’s great to have a fresh-from-the-garden option.

Fresh Frozen From France – say that ten times fast!

We have a selection of both Greens and Blends and have loved them all, tasting and smelling as if I just picked them from my yard. The herbs come in convenient shakers that fit perfectly two-deep in your freezer door. Thawing isn’t necessary, you just toss (or shake) the already washed and stemmed chopped bits into your dishes. They are ever-so-lightly (you can’t even tell) coated with vegetable oil to preserve freshness and so the leaves won’t stick together. We’ve used them all: the basil and oregano in countless Italian dishes, the parsley sprinkled in soups, the cilantro in Vietnamese salad rolls (even frozen, as it quickly thaws!), and I mix the Blends with yogurt to make delicious herb dips and sauces (delicious on chicken or meats!).

Leave it to the French to come up with an awesome culinary idea! Since my herb garden failed miserably last year here in Seattle I’m making sure my freezer is well stocked year-round with these herbs. They certainly have saved me money, too! No more tossing out those wilted, slimy store bought ones.

I haven’t found them in any stores here in Seattle, but you can order them online.

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It’s been darn cold here in Seattle, so I’ve been using any excuse to fire up the stove or oven just to hang out by the heat. My latest excuse was in the form of savory scones. Cheddar dill scones, to be exact. As they baked they filled the house with that lovely something-delicious-is-in-the-oven smell. On a cold day, that is just the smell I love. That and the smell of a real fire going in the fireplace.

If you, too, are a bit chilly, then these little scones are sure to warm your paws.

Cheddar Dill Scones
Adapted from the Barefoot Contessa

4 cups all-purpose flour (plus a little extra for rolling)
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 pound (3 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
4 extra-large eggs, beaten lightly
1 cup cold heavy cream
1/2 pound (roughly 4 cups) extra-sharp yellow Cheddar, small-diced
1 cup minced fresh dill
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk (for egg wash)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter and mix on low until the butter is in little pea-sized pieces. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs and heavy cream, then add them to the flour mixture. Combine until just blended. Toss together the Cheddar, dill, and 1 tablespoon of flour, then add them to the dough. Mix until they are almost incorporated.

Dump the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead until the Cheddar and dill are well distributed (about 1 minute). Roll the dough until 3/4-inch thick. Cut into 4-inch squares and then in half diagonally to make triangles. Brush the tops with the egg wash.

Line a baking sheet with Silpat baking mat or parchment paper. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the outside is crusty and the inside is fully baked.

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My new favorite thing -thanks to my friend Tracy who made it for us the other night- is herb yogurt. Made with multiple fresh herbs one bite is like a mouthful of your lovely herb garden (minus the dirt, of course).

It makes a wonderful, healthy alternative to sour cream. Just mix plain yogurt with a bunch of whatever herbs suit your fancy. I chose the following:

• Mint
• Basil
• Dill
• Chives
• Italian parsley

I added a clove of minced garlic, kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper for some extra spice.

This is absolutely delicious on tomatoes, fingerling potatoes, lamb…but would be fabulous on about anything. We spooned it over the one precious heirloom tomato our garden produced, then we drizzled it with a bit of white truffle oil.

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Sure, you can buy crackers, but what fun is there in that? You have to get in the car, waste expensive gas getting to the store, find parking, decide among the fifty million brands of mass-produced crackers, wait in line to buy them, then drive home. In all that time you could have easily whipped up a batch of these tasty English-style crackers.

I say English-style because they are nothing like what us Americans call a cracker. They aren’t thin and crisp, in fact, there is nary a crack in these crackers. I would actually call these savory shortbread, but Ina Garten calls them crackers, and I got the recipe from her.

Made with fresh thyme, parmesan cheese, and cracked pepper these little crackers are sure to surprise and delight.

Parmesan Thyme Crackers
Recipe from the Barefoot Contessa

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
3 ounces grated Parmesan
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Using the paddle attachment in your food processor, mix the butter until creamy. Add the Parmesan, flour, salt, thyme and pepper and combine.

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll into a 13-inch long log. Wrap the log in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 20-30 minutes to harden. Don’t let it freeze solid or it will crumble as you try to cut.

Cut the log crosswise into 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick slices. Place the slices on a sheet pan and bake in 350 degree preheated oven for 22 minutes.

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When I was a wee little girl I had a nightmare about a monster whose face looked like mint chocolate chip ice cream. Strange, I know. The funny thing is, you’d think the horror would’ve turned me off of mint chocolate chip ice cream for life, but no, it’s my favorite. That nightmare I had about water, however, sure did the trick!

The mint in our garden is going crazy. Nothing else wants to grow, but the mint is flourishing. That’s just mint’s thing: it’s so hearty it could grow in the worst corner of your yard, in the worst soil. My kind of gardening!

If you, too, like mint and chocolate (no need to have had the freaky green monster nightmare) then you’ll love this fresh little dessert. I plucked a few leaves from my plant, dipped them in dark chocolate, then popped them in the freezer for a half hour. They are wonderful on their own or as a beautiful garnish to any dessert.

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The sun has finally decided to show itself here in Seattle, which means the barbecue has once again been hauled out of the garage and has settled back into its usual spot on the patio. At last. What better way to wrap up a nice sunny afternoon than to throw something tasty down on the grill?

For tonight’s grilling pleasure I chose one of our favorite cuts of meat: flank steak. Flank steak (sometimes known as London broil) is cut from the belly of the cow, is long and flat, and relatively tough – but very flavorful! Since it tends to be on the chewier side most preparations call for marinating or braising in order to break it down.

Another foolproof method is to simply sear it on high heat until medium rare and slice it thinly. The results are tender, tasty and succulent pieces of steak. Here’s one of my favorite crowd-pleasing preparations:

3 cloves of garlic, crushed or finely minced
¼ cup parsley, finely chopped
Juice of half a lemon and the zest
Olive oil
Salt and black pepper to taste
Baby arugula
Parmigiano reggiano cheese
Truffle oil (optional)

Rub the garlic and salt on one side of the steak then spread the chopped parsley, creating a paste. Drizzle with olive oil, and add fresh ground black pepper and the juice of half a lemon. Grill on high for 4-6 minutes on each side, turning 90 degrees to get those nice grill marks. Let your meat rest about 10 minutes before slicing.

Thinly slice the meat against the grain and at an angle. On a platter, make a bed of fresh baby arugula and lay your slices of meat on top. Shave slices of parmigiano reggiano on top, add some lemon zest, give it a little drizzle of truffle oil and you’re good to go!

We served this al fresco along with a simple Caprese salad and rosemary roasted red potatoes.

Note: How can you tell if your steak is medium-rare? Poke the steak with either your finger or fork. If it feels squishy then it’s rare. The tip of your nose feels like a well-done steak. If you want a visual guide check out The Finger Test For Doneness from the Science of Cooking.

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