This week’s interactive playlist will be all of our favorite songs at this moment in time. I obviously need your help with this one, or it will just be a short list of songs that I like. Funnily enough, all of the songs I added to the list sound wistful to me. Must be springtime! I haven’t been listening to anything new lately. I’ve been playing some songs for the boys that I used to love, and I’ve had a few longtime favorites buzzing around in my head for one reason or another. What about you? What have you been listening to? Add your songs to the playlist, or leave a comment and I’ll add them myself.
This vegan sauce was very smooth and flavorful. I utilized two of my favorite creamy-vegan-sauce making tricks…cauliflower and almonds. They’re both quite mild flavors, but they blend up nicely. This sauce, as you can see, is lovely and GREEN!! It’s a good sauce for spring. I added grape tomatoes and capers, for a little juicy tangy kick, but you could use it as it is, or add any kind of vegetable or bean you like. White beans or chickpeas would be nice. We ate it over orchiette pasta. If you add less water, you’d have a nice purée as a side dish or base for a more substantial main meal. If you added more water or vegetable broth, you’d have a smooth velvety soup…a bisque.
1/2 medium-sized head of cauliflower, florets only
3 T olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 t red pepper flakes
1 t dried basil, or a small handful of fresh
1 t rosemary, chopped
1 t dried thyme, or 2 t fresh
2 packed cups baby spinach
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 t salt
1 t balsamic vinegar
freshly ground pepper
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
2 t capers
Bring a medium-sized pot of salted water to boil and drop in the cauliflower. Boil until firm but tender – about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat, but don’t drain.
In a blender combine the almonds, salt, and baby spinach and process till just mixed.
In a small skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the garlic and the herbs. Fry briefly until the garlic starts to brown. Remove from heat, let cool briefly, and then pour the oil over the spinach. Process everything until combined.
With a slotted spoon, add the cauliflower florets to the mixture. Process. Add the balsamic and black pepper. Add enough of the cauliflower cooking water to make a thick, smooth purée. You can make it as thin or thick as you like. Anywhere from a soup to a sauce to a purée that you can serve as a side dish. Stir in the tomatoes and capers, if you like.
A bit busy elsewhere on the internet today, but I’ve added Pulp – The Birds In Your Garden. My first thought reading about your local sparrow, a passionate song and a recent “rediscovery”.
THank you, DP! I’m trying to think of innuendo songs, but I think my internal search engine has failed completely!
I’ve been dropping hints about a chanson that I’m fond of and have nominated in the past. You, Ejaydee and others have nominated others by the same artist over the years. A charming and pastoral song, but by no means an innocent one…
NOoooo! Is it in French? The only “chanson” I have is Carla Bruni, and I DON’T KNOW WHAT SHE’S SAYING!!! I wish I could guess it, but I’m ridiculously tired at the moment and all of my rational thought processeeze have shut down for the forseeable.
You are such a good listener and observer, Claire. I have a pair of “little brown birds” who have built a nest in my garage. There are lots of ways they can get in and out, but when they first started the nest they would panic when I walked in and fly about frantically hitting walls. Now they know there’s nothing to fear. I have no idea what kind they are or what they sound like, but their tails point up at a jaunty angle instead of pointing down.
The bird dog story is wonderful. It reminds me of the writing of Daniel Woodrell (Winter’s Bone) and specifically a passage in The Death of Sweet Mister (which I highly recommend).
Clio is a lucky dog.
Are you in the UK, Lynn D? They sound like wrens to me.
It sounds like wrens to me, too! Thanks for your kind words, Lynn, I’ll look up the Daniel Woodrell that you recommend.
Yes! Those dear white throats! They are among the community of birds who “come home” to their bamboo roost here at sunset. We often stand in the stand for a free concert of voices and wing flutters. Please, join us one sunset.
I can’t access your playlist from here, but I’ve been listening to opera singer Stephanie Blythe’s tribute to Kate Smith which aired last Friday on PBS and you can still access online: pbs.org/programs/live-from-lincoln-center
The concert made my parents, soooooo happy. Dad is a WWII vet. Mom was inspired to dust off her harmonica and play those tunes once again. And, it is a great concert for younger people to learn the spirit of those times: sad but hopeful.
Many of the songs are sad and hopeful. Two that come to mind for your current post:
When the Moon Comes over the Mountain
The White Cliffs of Dover, made popular by UK’s Vera Lynn, and here by Kate Smith
Stephanie Blythe should be nominated the American People’s Princess. And HRH Stephanie would love this blog post. When not performing at the Met, she loves being home with husband and dogs in the garden and bird watching.
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