herbs du provence...

one of my favorite food blogs is '101 cookbooks', it's a simple, beautiful site with excellent recipes...
for the holidays she mentioned 'a few of her favorite things', including 'herbs du provence' which no kitchen should be without...

Favorites List (Fall 2010) - 101 Cookbooks

www.101cookbooks.com

herbs du provence recipe...why buy old, dusty herbs when you can make it fresh...and whether you're in sandy eggo or the edge of the world you can by on-line where i buy my herbs...jody is the owner, this is her baby...herbs are impeccably fresh and reasonably priced, mostly organic or wild...check it out...

http://www.inharmonyherbs.com/


i like this recipe because i love lavender in everything including this...teas, breads, cookies, jams, sachets...everything...dream pillows...lavender... in iced tea with lemon and mint...ooh so good...

http://www.wowyouarereallylucky.com/tv-show-recipes/lavender-recipes-herbs-de-provence.htm

sweet potato biscuits with chorizo gravy...

http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com/2010/11/sweet-potato-biscuits-chorizo-gravy.html

boozey mushroom pasta...

one of our favorite fall-back dishes is a simple mushroom cream sauce...you can add or delete items, but a little butter, carmelized onions, mushrooms and cream are the stars of this recipe...and of course, your favorite alcohol...

ingredients are according to taste;


butter ~ sweet, 1/4 c. or half stick

onions ~ one or two large, depending on your love of the onions...
               i prefer sweet browns, maui, vidalia...
               sliced thinly...

garlic ~ 1 tsp, minced, cheat!...i buy the BIG jars from smart&final, on the spice shelf, refridge after opening...

mushrooms ~ lots!...i want to have at least one mushroom in every bite...not a fan of button, but do your thing, i prefer crimini, or their big brother portobello, again, cheat, trader joe's has crimini pre-sliced in the bag, oh no my friend, too easy... 


booze ~ depends on the alcohol...we use marsala, brown and nutty, it gives great flavor aand color, but hey, vodka, whisky, tequila will do, as well as, any wine, white, red, brandy, sherry or port...i love port...at least 1/2 cup...


half&half or cream ~ cream is preferred, no waiting for the sauce to reduce...your taste, but again at least 1/2 cup...


pasta? ~ your choice...too many to name...


melt butter, add onions and a small amount of water, aides in softening onions, low heat or watch carefully...when water evaps onions will start to brown and carmelize, don't burn...

add garlic, always after the onions are cooked or it becomes bitter...

add mushrooms, toss to absorb all the delicious flavor...

add booze, cook to burn off some of the alcohol, not all, but the more you cook, (alcohol gone, sugar remains)the sweeter it gets...

add cream, low, low, low heat...sauce will thicken, if you are very naughty add a pat more of butter...

salt and pepper to taste...


serve over cooked pasta...

now...if you prefer a thinner sauce, and i ask myself 'why?'...add some of the pasta cooking water...so hold back a little for that use...

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now...
 
add shrimp, scallops, mussels...


use it on chicken, pork~chops, tofu...


you can add spinach...yum!...peas...broccoli...water chestnuts...