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3d annual ‘summer fest’ starts wednesday

IAM PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT SUMMER FEST, a cross-blog food event celebrating peak harvest season, will be back for a third year. The event–which relies on you, the readers, to round out each week’s theme by posting your own tips and recipes (or links to them)–will start next Wednesday, July 28, with Cukes and Zukes Week. The details:

THE 2010 SCHEDULE:

Each Wednesday for the rest of the summer and probably longer, a group of blogging friends including Todd and Diane at White on Rice Couple; Shauna Ahern the Gluten-Free Girl, and Food2 will swap our recipes and tips about the following harvest-fresh ingredients. You’ll love meeting this year’s participants (a full list with links will accompany my post Wednesday and every week). The schedule:

  • 7/28: cukesnzukes
  • 8/4: corn
  • 8/11: herbs, greens, and beans
  • 8/18: stone fruit
  • 8/25 tomatoes
  • more to come if we all want it — stay tuned!

We each post something and then link to one another, so that you can travel around the combined effort, gathering the goodies.

HOW YOU CAN JOIN IN SUMMER FEST:

Giving back makes the experience even better. Have a recipe or tip that fits any of our weekly themes? Starting with our posts of Wednesday, July 28, for five Wednesdays through 8/25 and possibly longer, you can contribute in various ways, big or small.

Contribute a whole post, or a comment—whatever you wish. It’s meant to be fun, viral, fluid. No pressure, just delicious. The possibilities:

Simply leave your tip or recipe or favorite links in the comments below a Summer Fest post on my blog any upcoming Wednesday, and then go visit my collaborators and do the same.

The cross-blog event idea works best when you leave your recipe or favorite links (whether to your own blog or someone else’s) at all the host blogs. That way, they are likely to be seen by the widest audience. Everyone benefits, and some pretty great dialog starts simmering.

Or think bigger: Publish entire posts of your own, if you wish, and grab the juicy Summer Fest 2010 tomato badge (illustrated by Matt of Mattbites).

EXAMPLES FROM THE 2009 EVENT:

Want to see this cross-blog concept in (past) action?

  • Tuesday, July 28: HERBS. Any and all; I did parsley, and readers added everything else.
  • Tuesday, August 4: FRUITS FROM TREES (also known as stone fruits, but we won’t scream if you toss in a berry or another fruit, promise). My entry was a peach clafoutis.
  • Tuesday, August 11: BEANS-AND-GREENS WEEK (either or both, your choice). My entry was here.

And in case I forget what week it is, won’t somebody remind me on Twitter? Thanks. We’ll be talking it up there, too, and on our Facebook pages.

That’s how a Summer Fest works (and the way that Food Fest 2008 worked, too, remember?). There are many more examples in my “edibles” archives, but you get the idea, right?

See you Wednesday–and spread the word (and start cooking!).

  1. nora says:

    Starting July 30, my family and I will be attempting the 100 yard diet as inspired by Novella Carpenter’s book “Farm City The Education of an Urban Farmer”. I will share recipes, the only problem is that my husband the marketgardener sold all of our zucchinis including the huge “British” ones aka “marrow” at the farmer’s market today!
    (There goes the spaghetti substitute!)
    My other great inspiration is Janette Haase’s book “From Seed to Table” -click on “gardening” on website. We have sorrel and chicken eggs, and the peak of the harvest! Oh yes the vinegar from last year’s dill pickles have become part of our 100 yards! I’ll report back by the end of the week! (Day 1)

  2. andrea verberkmoes says:

    Oh boy! I’m very excited about the gluten free recipe contributions. Thank you, Margaret, and I will join in with a few of my really tasty wheat and corn free recipes.

  3. Jayne says:

    Can’t wait! I have a recipe using the shallots my sister grew this year – she did a great job and says they are easy. My recipe is even easier and so Delicious!

  4. Margaret M. Dabe says:

    I have connected with someone I haven’t seen in years-they are in Athens, Greece and have supplied me with awesome recipes-Feta Bread, Summer green beans and simple tomato-feta in the nuker-refreshingly light summer dishes. Am sure he would want me to share them.

    1. Margaret says:

      Welcome, Margaret. Sounds delicious…and I do hope you will “bring it” (as they say these days) to the event. See you there!

    1. Margaret says:

      Welcome to Jasmine and Rossella — and we’ll be happy to have your comments/recipes/tips whatever week you wish. Nice to “meet” you.

  5. gaia says:

    I’d love to join this great foodblog experience!
    I found the link on a friend’s blog and i thought just on thing: must have to create something!

    i’m thinking of some ideas regarding corn and next entries!!!
    = )

      1. Margaret says:

        What I love most about Summer Fest: so many new faces! Welcome, therefore, to Stacey (love pasta with veggies, including zucchini!); to One Hungry Mama (that frittata sounds delish — ricotta!); to Cristie (fellow gardener, with a bread recipe that has a story to tell); to Kathleen, whose cold soup would be just right about now, since the heat is on again here (outside I mean) and I have just been out watering in it.

        See you all soon again, I hope.

  6. Ruth Dennison says:

    Google Matha Stewarts Zucchini lattice tart and it is wonderful…looks difficult but the crust is easy and it looks great and tastes phenominal…
    I substitute yellow summer squash and it too is great

    1. Margaret says:

      Welcome, Valeria — and see you for corn recipes. Seems like we will have quite the Italian contingent joining us that week! Molto bene!

  7. Carolyn says:

    This is a terrific idea! I also blog about food and gardening, but here in the deep south, we are weeks ahead of you in the garden, and our cukes and zukes are long gone. I will wait for you all to catch up and will post my recipes in the coming weeks and look forward to participating. I hope you come and visit me in my garden at http://www.cowlickcottagefarm.com.

    1. Margaret says:

      Welcome, Carolyn, and we’re glad to have you along in the coming weeks. I just enjoyed my “trip” to your Florida garden, thanks. See you (and your recipes) soon!

    1. Margaret says:

      Welcome, She’s Cookin’ — and thank you for the link. Hope you’ll be with us this week for Herbs, Beans and Greens!

    1. Margaret says:

      Welcome, Chris. I added the link to your Facebook page, which is where I think you should make your post (with photo(s)) and then put that in the comments on all our blogs. Make sense?

  8. Karen says:

    I loved reading last years posts, and I found so many new blogs to love. Please add peppers to the list. I have an abundance this year of sweet peppers, hot peppers, jalapeno and the like and would love new ideas for those.

    1. Margaret says:

      Welcome, Karen. You are making me want to make salsa — and have a big stuffed pepper for supper. Thanks for the suggestion, and don’t be a stranger.

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