Sugar High Fridays August Edition

Happy Friday! Sugar High Friday, that is. This month's SHF has a bit of a twist, Vegetable Surprise! All entries are a dessert that leverages vegetables in the ingredients. I was impressed with the creativity and some of the Indian desserts that were posted. What a great way to get that extra serving of vegetables in your day!

Anna from Life's Too Short For Mediocre Chocolate posted Double Chocolate Pumpkin Cookies! She describes the dish as "Soft, chocolatey, and a little spicy with a kick of cinnamon. Perfect for Fall's hot chocolate nights."

Rinku from Cooking in Westchester shares Beetroot Halwa. This halwa, a type of pudding, is prepared by simmering beets in milk, cardamom and sugar with a glossy finish of clarified butter.

Halwa was a popular approach for this month's theme. Ramki posted several different types of Halwa for other vegetables at her site, One Page Cookbooks. Recipes include Carrot, Bottle Gourd, Chayote, and fruit-based Halwa.

Sugar High Fridays, or SHF, was started by Jennifer at Domestic Goddess. Each host for a roundup chooses a theme and all of you post a dessert recipe for the theme. To get an idea of what Sugar High Friday is all about, look at these recent roundups:

May, Sweet Without the Wheat (Gluten Free Desserts)

June, Fruit and Nut

July, All Time Favorite Desserts

August, Vegetable Surprise!

Sharing the Love

Just wanted to say "Thanks!" for the recent coverage of the blog. And also to Saveur magazine for the nice surprise I got today seeing links to this site under the "Sites We Love" section there. Very cool. Over at my other online gig, I just finished an interview with Chef Preeti Mystri who will appear on Season Six of Top Chef tonight. Check that out if you get a moment.

Sugar High Fridays August Edition

This month I am happy to host the SHF August 2009, with the theme of "Vegetable Surprise!" That's right, put your best "Iron Chef" on and get crazy with the dessert course — use of ice cream maker allowed. C'mon make us WANT to eat those veggies whether you make it deceptively delicious or just darn delectable, bring it on!

Sugar High Fridays, or SHF, was started by Jennifer at Domestic Goddess. Each host for a roundup chooses a theme and all of you post a dessert recipe for the theme. To get an idea of what Sugar High Friday is all about, look at these recent roundups:

May, Sweet Without the Wheat (Gluten Free Desserts)

June, Fruit and Nut

July, All Time Favorite Desserts

Rules for Participation:

1. You can make any dessert you want, as long as it contains a bit of vegetable for one ingredient. Your post must include a link to this blog's announcement and a link to

2. Send your entries to farmerfare@gmail.com with subject line SHF-August. Please send your entries in English only, or with a link to the page which has English translation on your blog. Include in your entry:

• Name of blog and link
• Permalink for your post
• Description of recipe
• Image no larger than 200 pixels wide (height can vary).

3. The deadline for sending in your entries is Monday, August 24, 2009. Maximum of TWO (2) entries per blog.

4. The roundup will be posted on the last Friday of August (the 28th), so come back and make sure your entry is a part of the mega-roundup.

5. Non-Bloggers are welcome to email me their recipes, and I'll surely include them in the roundup as well. Or leave your recipe in the comments section of the final roundup post.

Summer Risotto

This is perfect as a light summer meal with a salad and fresh melon on the side.

Summer Risotto
For vegetables
1 pint heirloom cherry tomatoes, mixed varieties, sliced in halves
3 corn cobs, shucked and kernels sliced off
1 red pepper, diced
1 shallot diced
2 scallions, sliced, white part and one inch of the greens
1 tbs. canola oil

For the risotto
3 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
1/4 cup white wine
1-1/4 cup aborio rice
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tbs. olive oil

Garnish
2 tbs. chopped basil
1 tbs. chopped parsley
2 tbs. grated parmesan


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

To get the kernels off the corn, hold the cob vertical, place the knife along the side and cut down. Turn the cob and repeat. Do this over the tray or bowl. You'll want to keep all the sweet milk the corn releases when you cut.

Mix the vegetables on a baking sheet with the canola oil. Roast in the oven for about 15 minutes, stirring if needed, until they just begin to turn golden. Remove from oven and set aside.

Bring the water and stock to a gentle simmer in one pot. In another pot, heat the oil and add the rice. Saute the rice in the olive oil for a couple minutes until the grains are translucent. Add the hot stock a ladle at a time. Stir until the rice absorbs the stock, then add the next ladle. Finish with the wine. When all the liquid has been absorbed, the risotto should be al dente and ready.

Gently fold in the vegetables, herbs and parmesan.

Harvest Garden

It was an 80-degree Sunday with a cool wind. Perfect weather, and rare for late July. We needed to get outside. Not too far away, Powell Gardens just opened twelve acres of food gardens, the nation's largest edible landscape. Beyond the typical row crop, the garden artistically mixes vegetables, fruits and herbs in a beautiful landscape. At the edge, a cafe serves food made from picked-that-day produce.

After an inspiring walk, where I actually believe for a moment I can overcome my gardening dysfunction, we ate then walked the rest of the gardens, acres of flowers and waterfalls and a glass chapel.

Sometimes, you don't have to go far from home to feel like you are on vacation.