Celebrate the Spring Equinox with Three Unique Herbs

As the days grow longer and nature awakens, the Spring Equinox is the perfect time to embrace renewal and balance. What better way to celebrate than with fresh, vibrant herbs? Here are a few ways to welcome the season with the power of nature’s green gifts.

Herbs of Renewal and Balance

Spring is a season of fresh starts, and certain herbs embody this energy beautifully:
🌿 Parsley – A symbol of cleansing and new beginnings, parsley is packed with nutrients and vitality.
🌼 Dandelion – This resilient herb supports detoxification and represents transformation, making it ideal for spring.
💜 Violet – Delicate yet strong, violets bring a sense of balance and harmony to the season.

Create an Herb-Inspired Centerpiece

Bring the freshness of spring indoors with an herb-inspired centerpiece. Fill a rustic basket or ceramic bowl with small pots of parsley, dandelion greens, and violets. Add sprigs of rosemary for a touch of fragrance, and tuck in a few bright flowers for color. This living arrangement not only looks beautiful but also provides fresh herbs to snip and use in seasonal dishes.

Go on a Spring Herb Foraging Walk

Take advantage of the season’s renewal by heading outdoors for a spring herb foraging walk. Look for young dandelion greens, violets, chickweed, or wild garlic along trails or in your own backyard. These fresh finds can be used in teas, salads, or homemade remedies. Foraging is a great way to connect with nature and appreciate the gifts of spring—just be sure to forage responsibly and avoid areas treated with pesticides.

Recipe: Violet Syrup

For a full step by step see this how to post from my herb freind Tina Sams of The Essential Herbal: Violet Syrup.

Here is a quick recipe:

Simple Violet Syrup (for treating coughs, colds and headaches)

• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 cup packed fresh violet flowers and leaves
• 2 lb. sugar

Pour boiling water over fresh crushed flowers and leaves cover and let stand for 12 hours. Strain and squeeze through cloth, add sugar and boil for 1 hour or until syrupy. Store in glass jars. 

Recipe: Dandelion and Parsley Pesto

Celebrate the equinox with a fresh, herbal pesto that’s perfect for spreading on bread, mixing into pasta, or drizzling over roasted veggies.

• 1 cup dandelion greens (washed and dried)
• 1 cup fresh parsley leaves
• ½ cup nuts (walnuts or pine nuts work well)
• 2 cloves garlic
• ½ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan (or nutritional yeast for a vegan option)
• Juice of ½ lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Blend dandelion greens, parsley, nuts, and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped.
2. Slowly drizzle in olive oil while blending until smooth.
3. Add Parmesan (or nutritional yeast), lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Blend again to combine.
4. Adjust seasoning as needed and enjoy!

This pesto is a perfect way to welcome the changing season with the bright flavors of spring. How do you celebrate the Spring Equinox? Let us know in the comments!

Basil Pesto Pasta - Weekend Recipe

A classic and versatile dish that showcases the deliciousness of fresh basil and is so easy to make. You can serve it warm or cold depending on your local weather.

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves
  
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 12 oz pasta of your choice (spaghetti, penne, or fusilli)

1. 

   In a food processor, combine basil, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, and garlic cloves. Pulse until well combined. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while the food processor is running until you achieve a smooth consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta and toss it with the prepared basil pesto until fully coated. Serve with an extra sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Vegan Summer Squash and Pesto Soup - Recipe Theme

If you have a few leftover summer squash as the frost moves in, this is a great soup to help use them up.  You can also use your other garden produce to make this flavorful and unique soup that can use up all your remaining fresh basil. This is another crock pot recipe, can you tell where my cooking of soups tends to gravitate?  Hubby does not like to make soup and I don’t like to be in the kitchen for long periods which makes crockpot soups my favorite.  

The butter-based pesto topping is what makes you love this soup as one last time to enjoy the flavors of summer. And the butter is great on pasta, rolls, and steamed vegetables too! Leftovers of both can be frozen. 

Vegetable Soup with Pesto Butter

•  1 large onion, chopped
• 3/4 pound new potatoes (1-inch diameter), halved
• Salt and pepper
• 2 summer squash (8 oz. each), halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise into 1/3-inch pieces
• 1/2 pound green beans, halved
• 1/2 pound sugar snap peas
• 1 quart vegetable broth or stock
• 1 cup (packed) fresh basil
• 1 small clove garlic, peeled
• 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan
• 4 tablespoons butter or vegetable butter substitute
• 3 ears corn, kernels cut off (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 large tomato, diced

Directions:

Layer the onion and potatoes in a large, lined slow cooker; season with salt and pepper. Add the squash, green beans, snap peas and broth. Cover and cook until the potatoes and squash are soft and the beans and peas are crisp-tender, about 2 hours on high or 3 hours on low.

Meanwhile, make the pesto butter: Using a food processor, puree the basil and garlic until finely chopped. Add the parmesan, butter/butter substitute, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Process until the butter comes together in a ball. Transfer to a small bowl.

Stir the corn and tomato into the finished stew; season. Top each serving with pesto butter.

 

RECIPE THEME

Each month a theme is chosen and a number of recipes on that theme from my massive archive will be shared.  This year we have 12 new topics, different from the topics of last year.  

To find the recipes of last year, check out this recipe link or search the blog with the topic Recipe2018, or Recipe2019 

You can search the monthly theme by looking for the theme keyword in the search box and it will pull up the recipes on that theme as posted, so look at the bottom of the recipe in each posting for the KEYWORD in the () to search for each  month.  All recipes this year will be tagged Recipe2020 so you can find them all.

The themes are:

Feb 2020 - Footbal Tailgate Favorites (AppFeb)

March 2020 - Kabobs (KabobMar)

April 2020 - Brunch (BrunchApr) more in 2021 also

May 2020 - Non-Traditional Pizza (PizzaMay)

June 2020 - Stir Fry Dishes (StirJun)

July 2020 - Salads with no lettuce (SaladJul)

August 2020 - Pickled things (PickleAug)

September 2020 - Quiche (QuicheSep)

October 2020 - Squash Soups (SquashOct)

November 2020 - Pumpkin (again) (PumpNov)

December 2020 - Turkey Recipes (TurkDec)

Meatless Monday - Veggie Pesto Pizza

We are trying to adopt one day a week of meatless meals.  That is the whole day from breakfast thru dinner. This pizza recipe, keeping to our monthly recipe theme, is a step toward that.  It is perfect for lunch or dinner. We used regular broccoli, because broccoli rabe is a bit out of season this time of year. 

I was experimenting with improvements to my Pesto blend, to which I have added sun dried tomato, so we actually used Backyard Patch Pesto Blend to make this.

Smokey Vegetable Pizza

2 Tbls olive oil

3 cloves garlic, chopped

½ bunch broccoli rabe, cut in 1-inch slices

½ sweet red pepper, seeded and sliced

4 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

1 lb. pizza dough at room temperature (make your own or use refrigerated)

1 cup pesto sauce (see our recipe here)

½ pound mozzarella

Directions:

Heat oven to 500 degrees F. Coat a 14-inch pizza pan with non-stick cooking spray. Heat olive oil in large skillet.  Stir in garlic, broccoli, red pepper, onion and mushrooms, season with salt and pepper.  Cook stirring for about 4 minutes.  On a lightly floured surface roll out dough into 14-inch circle.  Gently roll up onto a lightly flowered rolling pin and unrolled onto prepared pizza pan.

Spread pesto sauce over dough to within 1/2 inch of the edge.  Sprinkle with 1 ½ cups cheese over sauce.  Evenly spoon the vegetables over cheese.  Scatter the remaining cheese over vegetables.  Bake at 500 degrees F for 18 to 20 minutes or until nicely browned on bottom. Cool slightly before cutting to serve.

RECIPE THEME

Each month a theme is chosen and a number of recipes on that theme from my massive archive will be shared.  This year we have 12 new topics, different from the topics of last year.  To find the recipes of last year, check out this recipe link or search the blog with the topic Recipe2018, or Recipe2019 

You can search the monthly theme by looking for the theme keyword in the search box and it will pull up the recipes on that theme as posted, so look at the bottom of the recipe in each posting for the KEYWORD in the () to search for each  month.  All recipes this year will be tagged Recipe2020 so you can find them all.

The themes are:

Feb 2020 - Footbal Tailgate Favorites (AppFeb)

March 2020 - Kabobs (KabobMar)

April 2020 - Brunch (BrunchApr) more in 2021 also

May 2020 - Non-Traditional Pizza (PizzaMay)

June 2020 - StirFry Dishes (StirJun)

July 2020 - Salads with no lettuce (SaladJul)

August 2020 - Pickled things (PickleAug)

September 2020 - Quiche (QuicheSep)

October 2020 - Squash Soups (SquashOct)

November 2020 - Pumpkin (again) (PumpNov)

December 2020 - Turkey Recipes (TurkDec)

Butternut Squash and Sage Pesto Gratin

Sage is one of the herbs of fall and this recipe uses sage perfectly.  Plus it is a smother of great cheeses!

This is another wonderful side dish for Thanksgiving or any fall meal.  The richness of the butternut squash and the seasonal flavors of sage combine beautifully and will go well with a sage seasoned bird.

Butternut Squash and Sage Pesto Gratin

4 to 8 sprigs of fresh sage or about 1/4 cup fresh leaves.

4 Tbls toasted pine nuts
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano
4-5 garlic cloves
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2-3 Tbls water
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into medium cubes
1/4 cup water
Salt and pepper
2 cups crumbled gorgonzola cheese, divided

For the pesto
Combine sage leaves, pine nuts, Parmesan, garlic and extra virgin olive oil in a food processor and pulse. Add water and continue to pulse until smooth. Keep in refrigerator until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Fill a large pot with a couple inches of water and bring to a boil. Insert your steamer into the pot and place the cubed butternut squash on the steamer rack. Cover and steam for about 25 minutes or until the squash is very tender. Place in a bowl and put in the refrigerator to cool for 15-20 minutes. Once the squash has cooled, put it into a blender and add water. Puree until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread half of the squash on the bottom of the baking dish. Spread half of the pesto sauce evenly over top. Sprinkle with 1 cup gorgonzola. Repeat the layers. Bake for 60 minutes or until the sides begin to brown.

To find any recipe featured this month - use the search box and type: SquashOct

To find any theme recipe from this year type: recipe2018

For 2018 the monthly recipe themes will be:

   January - Chicken Soup (ChickJan)

   February - Beef Stew (StewFeb)

   March - Jambalaya (JambMar)

   May - Ham and Shrimp Dishes (ShrHamMay)

   June - Bread recipes (BreadJun)

   July - Grilling (GrillJul)

   August- Garden Delights (GardAug)

   September - Salsa, Corn and Jelly (SCJSep)

   October - Squash Dishes  (SquashOct)

   November - Pumpkin Recipes (PumpNov)

   December - Herbal Cocktails 

Yellow Squash Galette Pie

There is nothing worse than picking all the recipes, writing all the posts and then forgetting to make them live, so here are all the recipes for this point in the month that all went up on one day.  Sorry!

This recipe can make an appetizer or a side dish.  It uses pesto as the flavoring, which is a wonderful item to craft this time of time.

Yellow Squash Galette Pie

2-3 small yellow squash

1/3 cup ricotta
3 tablespoons pesto (see a quick recipe here)
Olive oil
Salt
1 sheet puff pastry

Directions
Cut squash into very thin circles. Lay a sheet of puff pastry on a greased baking sheet & top it with a layer of squash rings, then add ricotta and pesto and more squash circles.  Pinch the edges of the pastry upward to form sides. Drizzle the pastry with olive oil and salt.  Bake the galette for 15-20 minutes at 400F until the edges are golden. Serve hot.

To find any recipe featured this month - use the search box and type: SquashOct

To find any theme recipe from this year type: recipe2018

For 2018 the monthly recipe themes will be:

   January - Chicken Soup (ChickJan)

   February - Beef Stew (StewFeb)

   March - Jambalaya (JambMar)

   May - Ham and Shrimp Dishes (ShrHamMay)

   June - Bread recipes (BreadJun)

   July - Grilling (GrillJul)

   August- Garden Delights (GardAug)

   September - Salsa, Corn and Jelly (SCJSep)

   October - Squash Dishes  (SquashOct)

   November - Pumpkin Recipes 

   December - Herbal Cocktails 

Grilled Pizza with Pesto & Feta - Weekend Recipe

I have a great simple summer grill-out recipe, perfect for a light appetizer or to serve as an entrée. No baking required!

Grilled Pizza With Pesto and Feta

Prepared pizza dough
Pesto (make your own with this recipe; or use BYP Pesto Blend)
garden fresh tomatoes, sliced
Peppers, diced or sliced
Feta cheese

Directions:
Place pizza dough on grill and grill both sides for 3 minutes. Spread with a layer of pesto and top with feta cheese and vegetables. Grill for 3 minutes more.

Optional: Serve with torn basil leaves.

To find any recipe featured this month - use the search box and type: GardAug

To find any theme recipe from this year type: recipe2018

For 2018 the monthly recipe themes will be:

   January - Chicken Soup (ChickJan)

   February - Beef Stew (StewFeb)

   March - Jambalaya (JambMar)

   May - Ham and Shrimp Dishes (ShrHamMay)

   June - Bread recipes (BreadJun)

   July - Grilling (GrillJul)

   August- Garden Delights GardAug

   September - Salsa, Corn and Jelly 

   October - Squash Dishes 

   November - Pumpkin Recipes 

   December - Herbal Cocktails