Category: wishes

07/26/06 04:57 - ID#35996

a single girl and her dill

My flowers look scorched. If nothing else I have been tending to my flowers. I deadhead them, pull the occasional weed and water my beauties almost daily.

Yesterday I gave them all a good drink-- and by 4:30 pm today, they look wilted. I need to get back outside and take care of them, pronto.

My garden spots look like a jungle as everything is overgrown and needs to be divided and replanted. I had hoped to have been able to take care of that a few weeks ago, but now the opportunity is gone-- I need to wait it out a few more weeks before I can clean it up a bit. (e:matthew), when you are finally in your new home and settled-- I will share anything that you want.

I even have half a dozen bush/tree/plants that need to be planted. However, I do not see that happening until the end of summer., either. They are holding up well in their pots so far.

If- When I move, I will be digging a lot of plants out of the ground. I have accumulated so many in the past two summers. I have a knack for growing things outside. Just don't let me near an indoor plant...

My next home, which I would rather be in a position to buy (preferably B-Lo) as opposed to rent-- 'cause my apartment now is great for the rent price, size, privacy, etc.. and as I have too much 'house' stuff to just move into any old place.. I must have a little bit of a yard to plant my jungle. I don't like things to be overly manicured. I like it kinda wild- yet with some planning to it. I make things look nice-- I just don't need or want a cookie cutter look.

I imagine a smallish yard for my secret garden.. er, secret jungle? And a place to sit, read, write, drink wine, socialize and escape into the smells, sight and ambiance of nature.

So although I also wanted to put in a vegetable garden this year and was not able to, I managed to put in an herb garden. I have a bunch of different herbs lining a huge built in flower box that runs the length of my front porch. It great to cook something and just step out the door to snip some fresh herbs. Yum. I have used everything that I have planted so far except the Dill.

Now, What do I do with dill??? besides make a dill dip???

any ideas???????????????????????????????

I am clueless! (e:kara) ?????? help!!!! :)

ooh, while i am thinking about it.. (e:ladycroft) remember-- you must let me know what your schedule looks like in general. :)

I better get back outside and do some watering.. then its school work. surprised? nah, me either.

I'm on top of things though yay!

pyrcedgrrl writes at 12:44:06 07/27/06 - Comment #10316: I had the same problem the other day b/c my dill is starting to flower. lol.

I found a bunch of recipies. I tried the forst one and added peas and capers and it was really yummy.

Buttered Noodles with Fresh Dill

1/2 pound egg noodles
1/4 cup melted butter
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons snipped dill
2 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
Salt and pepper

Cook noodles according to package instructions. In a large bowl, toss noodles with melted butter, parsley, dill, Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste.

Creamy Dijon-Dill Potato Salad

Ingredients
3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 stalks celery
1 cup mayonnaise
1 small red onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup tightly packed chopped fresh dill
1 to 2 tablespoons vinegar
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon grainy or regular Dijon mustard

Instructions
Put the potatoes in a big pot with enough water to cover by 1-inch. Season with salt and
bring the water to a boil. Cook just until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, about 25 minutes.

Drain the potatoes and return them to the uncovered pot off the heat. Let them sit until almost room temperature.

(Cooling them in the warm pot will get rid of any excess water in the potatoes, and that's good.)

Meanwhile, cut the white parts off the ends of the celery stalks. Cut the stalks in half lengthwise, then across into
1/4-inch slices. Stir the celery, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and the remaining ingredients together in a serving bowl large
enough to hold all the potatoes.

When they're cool, cut the potatoes into 1-inch pieces, add them to the bowl as you go. Stir gently until all the
potatoes are coated with dressing. You can make the salad up to a couple of hours in advance. Keep covered at room
temperature. Don't refrigerate or the potatoes will lose their rich, smooth texture.

Dill Dip in a Bread Bowl

Ingredients
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon dill weed
1 tablespoon shallot, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
1 tablespoon beau monde (seasoning salt), optional
2 round bread loaves (preferably a dill/onion bread)

Instructions
Mix all of the ingredients together in a medium bowl. Cut out the center of 1 bread round

Grilled Corn on the Cob with Dill Butter

Ingredients
12 ears corn, silks removed, husks left on, and soaked in cold water for
20 minutes
1/2 pound unsalted butter, slightly softened
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
Salt and pepper

Instructions
Heat grill to high. Remove corn from water and place on the grill. Close
cover and grill until just cooked through, about 20 minutes. While corn is grilling, combine butter
and dill in a food processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Remove husk and
slather with dill butter.

Lemon-Dill Shrimp

1 1/2 pounds medium-large shrimp, shelled, deveined and patted dry with a towel
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 teaspoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill

Divide the shrimp between two 8- or 9-inch pie pans and pat them completely dry with a paper towel. Arrange the shrimp so they lay flat and are evenly spaced in the pans.

Heat 2 large skillets over medium heat. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper; add a teaspoon of butter to one of the pans and turn the heat to high. When the foam subsides, invert a pan of shrimp over the skillet so they fall into the pan all at once. Repeat with the other shrimp. Cook the shrimp, without moving them, until they turn golden brown on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Add a remaining teaspoon of butter to each pan and turn off the heat. Turn the shrimp over with tongs and cook for 1 minute in the residual heat of the pans. Add half the zest, juice, and dill to each pan, and shake the pan to combine.

Divide the shrimp among 4 plates or arrange on a platter. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Cucumber, Grape Tomato and Dill Salad

Ingredients
1 large shallot, finely minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup olive oil
1 seedless, skinless, cucumber, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4 inch half moons
1 bunch fresh dill, trimmed and minced
Lightly toasted fennel seeds
1 serrano chile, seeded and chopped
1 pint grape tomatoes

Directions
Put shallot, mustard, and vinegar in a blender, and blend. With the
motor running, slowly drizzle in oil. Toss cucumber and dill in the vinaigrette with fennel seeds
and chile. Fold in the tomatoes.

leetee writes at 08:38:17 07/27/06 - Comment #10313: You can always make dill butter. Just throw some into some softened butter, stir it up to mix it, then stick it back into the fridge. Great on veggies of almost any kind... well, corn, green bean, as (e:Ladycroft) mentioned, dill is amazing with 'taters.

Dill is also good on creamy noodle dishes. ON lazy days, i make those lipton noodle side dish thingies and throw in some dried dill... makes me feel less lazy.

And i found this recipe that sounds good...

Mushroom Dill Soup

1/4 cup butter
1 medium onion, chopped
12 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 Tbsp. chopped dill
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. paprika
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup sour cream
snipped dill for garnish

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook 5 minutes, or until softened. Add mushrooms, wine, dill, soy and paprika. Cover and simmer 15 minutes, or until mushrooms are softened. Add stock, bring to a boil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with a dollop of sour cream and snipped dill.

Happy dilling. :O)

jenks writes at 06:08:52 07/27/06 - Comment #10311: agreed, tzatziki is awesome. My greek friend whipped some up for us once, and I thought the coffee filter was a funny touch- but it does indeed work.

A guy I know was going to cook dinner and told me the veggies in his "dill crock" were ready. I'm still not entirely sure what that means, but cukes + dill crock = pickles. No idea how you do it, but he had cukes, beans, green tomatoes and... i forget what else... in there, and it was delish.

dragonlady7 writes at 11:34:31 07/26/06 - Comment #10310: An actual tzatziki recipe, approximated from The Joy of Cooking:

Set 1 c plain yogurt (lo-fat is ok) in a coffee filter in a colander over a bowl. This lets all the nasty runny watery stuff drip out, and makes your dip creamier. Leave it in the fridge like that overnight, or on the counter for an hour or two.

Finely chop one large cucumber. Set it in a colander. Sprinkle it with salt. Let sit 20 minutes over a bowl, likewise to get the runny excess water out.

Grate/chop/crush two cloves of garlic with some salt. Mash around. Mince 2 T each dill and mint. Combine with the garlic.

Squeeze excess water from diced cukes with a paper towel. Dump into bowl/container with yogurt. Add garlic/mint/dill. Mix thoroughly.

Use as veggie dip, potato chip dip, as a sauce for your grilled skewers of assorted meats and vegetables (wrap all in a pita), etc. It's the best thing ever and I eat it all the time. Feel free to mod the proportions of spices, to taste.

Another good thing to make with dill is poached salmon. If you're in the mood.

Much of my dill has gone to seed already-- I've started another crop. You can never have too much dill!!!

But my basil sux this year.

zobar writes at 10:40:15 07/26/06 - Comment #10309: dill + cucumbers + mint + garlic + yogurt = tzatziki. Spread it on a pita - you can burn through a lot of dill and cucumbers this way.

- Z

libertad writes at 10:11:39 07/26/06 - Comment #10307: my rabbit loves herbs

ladycroft writes at 08:24:56 07/26/06 - Comment #10305: dill, you can put it on anything! i love it on eggs, cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes (especially boiled potatoes!)...share, share, share! i looooooooove dill.