Thanks out to Maggie and Rosemary Scallops

Thanks go out to Maggie at Dog Hill Kitchen for giving my blog an Excellent rating. My turn is to now rate 10 others that I feel deserve the same. I am only featuring 4 at this time. Partly because I haven't really been blogging that long, and have not had the time to connect with that many other foodies and also because I previously picked 6 of my faves for the meme (see post). If they received this award in the past, then I am sure they deserve another!


First up is Leah's blog, Spicy Salty Sweet, I think the name says it all. What caught my attention was the post on Strawberry Preserves with Black Pepper and Balsamic Vinegar. I can't wait for the local berries to come in season so I can test drive this recipe.

Sweets by Sarah another winner. I mean, how great is it when someone has pics of her cat and homemade pop tarts? Pretty great in my book! Hey Sarah, Welcome to Food Buzz!

You will want to dive into the pictures on La Mia Cucina , 'nuff said!

Brittany's May entry, Little Mango Pies with Brown Sugar Grand Marnier Ice Cream, for the Royal Foodie Joust was yummy! You can check it out at The Pie Lady.

I hope you can visit these blogs. I think they are all worthy of the rating.

Sorry I haven't posted much in the last week or so, lots going on. The spring weather has got my green thumb going. I have seedlings going in my basement "greenhouse"; lemon cucs, many different heirloom tomatoes, basil, cilantro and nasturtium. So far they are looking pretty good. This is my first attempt at starting them indoors like I have. I will be posting a future blog on them. Outside, I have put in some beets, radishes and lettuces. Can't wait to get cooking with them!

In the meantime, here is a quickie!





Rosemary-Grilled Scallops

I used 8 nice sized fresh scallops that weighed just under 1#. Slice lengthwise, 4 very thin pieces of prosciutto, strip off the leaves of 8 rosemary stems (long enough to skewer the scallops), have some olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper at the ready.

Wrap the scallops edges with the prosciutto and skewer with the rosemary. Give them a light rub of olive oil, a drizzle of lemon juice, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Let them sit for about 15 minutes while the grill heats up.

Place them on an oiled, well heated grill and cook about 3-4 minutes per side (this will depend on the thickness of the scallops). until they are just opaque and a bit firm to the touch. Serve them up right away.

This is enough for 2 serving, 4 apiece as a main course.

A few notes: I found the recipe online here. We both gave it 2+ thumbs up. Very delicious and simple! I used a great bottled lemon juice, Italian Volcano, that I found at Costco. It is a great product to have on hand, they use 100% organic lemon juice and it is a fraction of the cost of fresh, especially as much as lemons are now. I also used kosher flake salt from Trader Joe's, and very sparingly. I think the prosciutto is salty enough. Most of the rosemary leaves will burn off while cooking. I did not soak mine before using, that may help some. Maybe I will try that in the future.



I love this picture with the flower!