Using and Preserving Summer Herbs: Dill

And here to tell you about one of her favorite herbs is our dear friend, Amy, of Very Culinary...  

*wild applause*

Ah, Dill…
Isn’t it pretty?

Unlike my hair, which is curly and unruly (and will never know the feeling of a comb running through it), Dill is…wispy. Slender. Delicate. Of course, I’m sure that Dill is jealous of Parsley’s fullness, and Rosemary’s strength, but the grass is always greener.

Back to my Dill love…

When we lived in Minnesota, I had a pretty respectable garden. Tomatoes and peppers took up a lot of space, but I made certain that two planter boxes were dedicated to fresh herbs. Some would lose out from year to year – I never seemed to use enough of the Sage or Marjoram – but Dill was never on the chopping block. Oh no. Dill is a staple in my house.

It has a simple, crisp, and refreshing flavor. I prefer fresh leaves, rather than dried, to get the most flavor. Apparently Dill has medicinal properties, too. I learned that the seeds contain an oil, which helps relax the muscles in our digestive tract. Teas are made with dill seed to relieve indigestion and nausea. And rumor has it, that it’s even good at curing hiccups. Hm. I don’t know. All I know is that it tastes good.

I like it best paired with salmon, yogurt, and potatoes. Like in these recipes…which are also staples in my house:

Salmon Burgers

Dill Potato Salad

Since relocating, and currently “borrowing” (as my 4YO says) the house we’re in now, I temporarily don’t have a garden anymore. No more tomatoes or peppers, no more onions, no more strawberries. Whimper, whimper. BUT, there’s no excuse not to grow fresh herbs. All those fellas need is a decent pot with good soil. Done.

So, who is this Amy person, anyhow?  And how did her recipes get over here on the Burp! blog?
Well... Amy is awesome. She's a mom (with cute kids). And a food blogger (what did you expect?). And she's amazing and funny.  She makes a seriously hilarious video. And her BBQ Deviled Eggs are to die-for.  So, we asked her to write something about her favorite herb -- which just happens to be dill.

Honestly, you'll love her. Just check out her blog at Very Culinary. I promise you won't be sorry!

This guest post is part of our Summer 2010 Herb Series: Using and Preserving Herbs. Stay tuned every Friday for more hints, tips, and tricks on how to use summer's bounty!


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Burp! Goes Gluten Free: Guest Post on Celiac in the City

This weekend, Peef and I did something we’ve never done before. We eliminated wheat and gluten from our diets. 

Why did we do it?
We took part in the Gluten Free Challenge because we were curious about what it would take to adhere to a more strict set of dietary guidelines.  We’ve been reading Sarah’s Celiac in the City blog now for the better part of year.  And we’ve also connected with other GF bloggers like Melissa from Gluten Free for Good and  Jenn and her gluten-free husband from Jenn Cuisine. We know that gluten free foods are popping up everywhere — great news for the one in 133 people suffering from celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder that causes a severe allergy to wheat, rye, barley, and possibly oats.  But, we are also aware that avoiding gluten can still pose quite the challenge in our wheat-heavy world.

So, for two days (May 22-23) we decided to stand tall and proud, along with all of our GF blogger friends, and raise awareness about gluten intolerance. And it’s a little crazy how much we learned.  And we ate a ton of great food, including the gluten free burger you see in the photo!

And we wrote a guest post for Celiac in the City to tell you all about it!
Click on over, read our post, and give Sarah some good old fashioned blogger love!


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