July 04, 2007

INDEPENDENCE DAY LUNCH AND AMARANTH DAL!


Enjoy the Fourth of July, BBQ and fireworks,have a great day today and be safe!
YUP! I am back and still "unpacking" physically and emotionally! I have posted this little later than usual so I can take the photo of my special lunch today but had typed the recipes yesterday. There is a Amaranth Dal with homegrown Amaranth greens I made as soon as I got home from vacation too!:)

Now the answers to those two pictures I posted last week. We were in Nashville as many of you guessed last week which is called "Athens of the South" with 16 Universities with more than 1/2 million population and also called a "Music city".I enjoyed Nashville since I love old country (don't like new country singers) music and singers like Glen Campbell,Jim Reeves,Tammy Wynette,young Elvis etc and loved visiting RCA Studio B!

Inji Pennu got both of them correctly(clever girl you, thanks Inji!!).They are in Tennessee.'Parthenon' in Nashville is a exact replica of the REAL Parthenon in Athens, Greece with a HUGE statue of Goddess Athena inside.It is really Gigantic!! The second photo is, of course, is the home of Elvis Presley 'Graceland' in Memphis,Tennessee.Thanks to all of you to indulge me in my own guessing game! I NEVER EVER can guess correctly when I try the guessing games in other blogs!:D

Independence day lunch, NC style pulled Chicken BBQ Sandwiches with fixings!:)
Lexington's Pulled Pork BBQ is famous here which goes on for a weekend every year and many people from other states come here to taste the famous BBQ.Of course,mine is simple homemade version of that with pulled Chicken! Vegetarians,I think you can add veges or pasta to the sauce, try it.
What is "pulled"? In Lexington,Pork is grilled or slow cooked overnight and instead of chopping or cutting,you pull the meat apart with 2 forks to small portions and then smothered with that special Lexington BBQ sauce.YUM!

How to make it:
Cook, grill, or bake 3-4 chicken breasts until white in the middle. Put it on a plate and and use two forks to pull the chicken apart until it appears to be stringy. Do not cut or slice it.

Barbecue Sauce: Heat about 3 tbsp of oil, add 1 tbsp minced garlic, 1/2 cup minced onion, and saute until transparent. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of tomato sauce, 1/4 cup of ketchup, and 1/2 cup of water and boil. Add 1/2 tbsp mustard powder, 1/2 tsp ginger pd,1 tbsp lemon juice,1/2 tbsp Liquid smoke, 3 tbsp apple cider, and 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, along with 1/4 cup brown sugar or Molasses. Simmer gently until thick. Add 1/2 tsp of chili pepper flakes, salt, and black peppers or to your taste.If the sauce is too thin, you can add a mixture of corn starch and water to make it thick. When sauce is thickish, add chicken, simmer for 5 minutes, adjust the seasoning, and serve on a burger buns with side dishes,crisps and a for dessert!

Mashed Potatoes:
Boil 3 large potatoes until soft in water, drain, peel and mash roughly OR you can use two cups of mashed potato flakes. Add 1/2 cup of full cream milk OR 4 tbsp of heavy cream, 1 tsp of garlic powder and 3 tbsp of freshly chopped chives, add salt and pepper to taste.

Spicy Corn:
Get 2-3 corn on the cobs, grill them in the oven and peel off all the corn OR use 1 15 ounce of corn. Add 2 tsp of fresh lemon juice, salt, pepper or cayenne peppers and fresh parsley or cilantro. For variation, you can add chopped red sweet bell peppers or green bell peppers too.

A mini Harvest!!Click on it to enlarge.



First thing I did when I got home is to literally run to check my garden.Boy! Was I surprised to see a mini harvest there although it didn't seem it rained much that whole week.I was so happy to take photos,water them quickly, cut all the fresh veggies.Last photo is Green and Purlpe Amaranth on the green plate.I had bought Amaranath seeds online last May and they were fabulously grown and made a dal with freshly cut Amaranth greens!(I get desperate craving to eat a simple Indian dal whenever I come back from vacation!;p)






Amaranth Greens Dal:


How to make dal:
1. Cook 1 cup of Tuar dal and about 4-6 cups of amaranth leaves/greens with 2-3 cups water until soft. Mash slightly.
2. Heat the dal in a pan and add salt and chili powder to taste. Add the ground masala and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Take off the heat.
3. For seasoning, heat a pan with 1/2 tbsp each oil and butter. Add 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, a pinch of hing/asafoetida, 2 garlic, minced, 1 red chilly, and 1/2 onion, finely chopped until onions are reddish.
4. Add this to the dal and mix it. Serve with rice and papad.
Roast and Grind these masala: 1 1/2 tbsp Coriander seeds,2 tsp Cumin seeds,1/2 tsp Fenugreek seeds,1/2 tsp Peppercorns,1 /2 tsp Mustard seeds,1" cinnamon,3 tbsp dry or fresh coconut to a smooth powder or paste.

Here are some photos,click to see the bigger images:
We stayed in a hotel next to Vanderbilt U(Most students from 16 U's are home for summer,thank God!) with numerous diverse restaurants like any college city.Some Turkish restaurants had signs like "NO I.D., NO HOOKAH!" outside!:D
We enjoyed the restaurants and my fav. was Woodlands,a south Indian veg. from B'lore,met a girl from Udupi too who manages Woodlands!

Woodland's Mysore Masla Dosa!! YUP!! Snuck in a photo too!:D

In the collage you can see; Elvis's living room which is beautiful,his famous Pink Cadillac,his grave with along his mom,dad and Grandmother's graves just outside his home,New Grand Ole Opry, RCA Studio B where legends of Country music stars recorded their music with a Piano where Elvis recorded his as well,huge statue of Goddess of Athena, Ganesha Temple in a beautiful place surrounded by mountains, a 'tallest in the south' Bell South building which locals affectionately call "Batman building"(looks like Batman's hood!) and Mr.Vanderbilt's statue infront of Vanderbilt U.


Gibson Guitar center:
My son loved the Gibson Guitar center tour which shows how their handmade expensive Guitars are made! He collected lot of Guitar picks for himself and enjoyed looking at all the Guitars of the country stars in the museums in Nashville.


There were 2 reasons for us to visit Memphis which is 3hrs drive from Nashville. One was National Civil Rights Museum at Lorraine Motel where Dr.Martin Luther King delivered his last speech and second was Graceland.Unfortunately,Museum was closed on Tuesday,so we just took photos.

Lorraine Motel/Museum, room #306 with his cars,a building opposite the room from where he was shot and a metal plaque with Dr.King's speech says " I may not get there with you but I want you to know that we as people will get to the promise land" April 3rd,1968.

Some photos to make you smile in downtown Nashville:
Our tour guide was saying that conservative people of Nashville are fighting to remove this Art with lot naked of male and female figurines from the Country Music city circle for 40 yrs and have failed so far!:D


Another interesting ironic street sign which shows opposite direction for these streets!
Gay st. was probably named after Mr.Gaylord who spent millions and built a brand new Grand Ole Opry House when the old one became unusable, Opry land Hotel and paid for a HUGE mall called Opry Mills.


Last but not least,a beautiful Ganesha/Shiva Temple surrounded by green mountains all around, a nature trail and not to forget the Laddu prasada!:D I really enjoyed visiting that temple.Priests there were from Bangalore,spoke Kannada,I chatted with them for a while too in Kannada.Lot of baby naming ceremonies were going on there!:))

That's about it.I successfully stayed from my laptop 99% of the time during the vacation!!Hurray for me! Now back to blog surfing!:D
Well...see you all next week,don't know what I am cooking,will see.Have a fun weekend!:))

106 comments:

sra said...

Hey, your amaranth and other pix are beautiful! Weren't you supposed to spring a surprise on us, or is that being reserved for next week? Are you coming to India?

Padmaja said...

I always enjoy reading u'r write ups asha, its wonderful to see those amazing recipes!! have a nice time

Anonymous said...

Your bbq chicken looks yum. I see that you have already got the GG&C book! have you started cooking from it? i have also bought 2 bbq cookbooks:))for summer& your kitchen garden bounty looks beautiful!:)
paati

bee said...

ash, the garden fairy loves you. and i'm still marvelling at your boundless energy. great post and pics.

FH said...

sra,thanks.Surprise post is next! Well...not really a surprise but a milestone for me!:))
India? Not planning right now.Some of our passports are gone for renewals and have to apply for citizenships shortly.May be after that.

Thank Padmaja.I enjoyed the trip too,lot of fun stuff to do:))

Hi Paati,thanks about the garden.I was surprised how much they grew in just 1 week!:))
Not started cooking with that book yet but looks interesting with good recipes.Two BBQ books! YAY! Looking forward to the dishes.I have a Indian Tandoor book,looks great with Indian spices.Have fun there:)

Thank you beautiful Bee! We should start mutual admiration society!:D
Yes,I am so happy with harvest this month and it's just the beginning!I have Eggplants,purple,green and white ones BEE, you fav!;D

Jayashree said...

Love the picture of the fresh produce from your garden. Bet it made you real happy to see that when you got back from your trip.
Nice, simple recipe with the amaranth...
Thx for sharing.

indosungod said...

Asha love your garden produce, especially the long green eggplant. I don't think I have seen that kind before, only purple ones. Amaranth dal, the crunchy fresh taste of home grown greens is something to savor. Looks like you had a great time, missed you and glad to have you back.

sunita said...

Seems like you had a great vacation...did miss you though... btw, what a nice harvest to return to...

TNL said...

wow...I am so glad you all had a good time in Nashville....loved the picture of the Temple the most....what a beautiful place...and of course, the Dosa plate!

Have a safe weekend, our holiday was on the 1st.....and thanks for your lovely comment, yes, I am getting busier and busier each day with all my new responsibilities....but I won't give up blogging!

hugs, trupti

FH said...

Jayashree,good to see you Yes,I was so happy to see fresh veg,couldn't wait to use them!They taste better too:))

Aw..!! Indo,thank you ,miised you all too.I am back to bug you again!:)
Green Brinjals are always available in B'lore we used them often,glad to find the plants here.I also have white Brinjals too,will post next time.Nothing beats fresh veggies!

Sunita,glad I am back to normal now although it was fun vacation.I resisted the temptation of opening the laptop for a week at least!:D Good to see you.

T,you BETTER NOT give up blogging or I will send you chain letters everyday!:D
You are young and strong,you can do it all.Don't worry.Keep on blogging even if it's now and then!:)
I loved the Temple,it's in a beautiful place most importantly.Dosas ,I had them for 3 lunches,loved them!
Have a fun weekend.Hugs.

Jyothi said...

Hi Asha! all pics are so beautiful. bbq chicken looks yummy and delicious. Thanks for sharing.

Suma Gandlur said...

Looks like you had a great vacation. Lovely pics.
That Woodland's Masale dose looks good but somehow I always feel that dosas here donot even come closer to those available back home.
As soon as, I saw amaranth dal post, I was like even Asha can get those leaves in NC and not me? Then realised they were home grown :)
Happy Independence day.

Saju said...

Great pics Asha,
I love your blog. I can't wait to try the chicken and the dal

FH said...

You are welcome Jyoti.BBQ sauce tastes so good,hope you try sometime.Enjoy girl:))

Hi Suma,I did enjoy but I am so glad I am home now!:)
I ordered the seeds online and sowed them didn't expect them to grow so quick.I was so happy.I haven't eaten those in yrs!:D
The y grow easily in deep pots too,try it.Dal was yummy and creamy with soft greens.
Happy 4th to you too,have fun today:))

Mishmash ! said...

Your rejuvenation cycle is quite fast I guess! How can someone make so many things after coming from a long trip !!!And the harvest, lucky you !! so refreshing and beautiful....pic of mysore dosa was mouthwatering :D

SHn

Shionge said...

Welcome Back Asha and Happy 4th July to you and your family :D

What a nice trip and food. I can see why your son love the guitars :)

Foodie said...

I am so glad you are back. I missed your blogging and your commnents on my blog. You were the first person every single time commenting. So hope you had a lovely vacation in Nashville.
The temple looks beautiful and your mini harvest awesome.
Happy blogging!!
hugs
Pintoo

So So Simple said...

Hi Asha
What fun you have had on your holiday.
Hey I love your garden Do you have a lot of land or are they mainly in pots?
Enjoy the rest of your July 4th.
Don't overdo it.

Cheers

archana said...

The pictures and your mini harvest are gr8. I have never seen so many tomatoes growing on a single branch.I liked the BBQ sauce and the dal. Lovely colour.But what is Liquid smoke you added in the sauce?

Prajusha said...

asha,
looks like u had a great vacation.beautiful pics and rite now iam craving for my favourite masala dosa:)

Dalicia said...

happy july 4th to you! :) thank you for sharing the pix...always enjoy them

vasilisa said...

looks like you've had a lot of fun! Great photography! You making me want to go travelling... But I'll guess I'll have to wait a couple of years :-)

Coffee said...

I have yet to check your previous post.... now that I know what is it, I am all the more eager to see it. :)

Loved the dal!! I agree, there is nothng like home cooked dal after a vacation!

You seem to have had a lovely vacation..... read somewhere in your comment that you are planning a vacation to Singapore.... come soon okay!! ;)

Keshi said...

WOW wut a great celebration with so much of yummy food n all!

Happy 4th Asha!

And that dhal dish..is it something like dhal makani?

Keshi.

Lisa Johnson said...

Your garden is just gorgeous! I'm thinking the next post will be related somehow... ; )

It's a shame that you didn't get to go in the civil rights museum, but sounds like you had a wonderful trip! Happy 4th!

Sreelu said...

Asha,

Beautiful pics, love the bounty from your garden, currently in India I guess all my tomatoes are growing.

Thanks for taking us on your trip ,good job

I still did not find time to post mine

Roopa said...

wow those are such lovely photos! wow i was amazed with those veges which lived for a week. lucky neevu :) nice post with the wonderfull writeup

Viji said...

Nice to know that you had great time Asha. You garden looks so nice. Nice to see those organic ones. The recipes are awesome. The full spread is eye catching. Entire post is touching. Viji

Kajal said...

Hi Asha,

I enjoy your nice writing with lots of information and like your way to share all this things with photo. You capture really very nice photo. Great Post.....how can you mange this very very big big big post?....Lots of time for that.....but your work is well-done.
..............(@U@)..............

FH said...

Hi Saju,good to see you girl.Thanks. Hope I didn't miss too many of your posts!:))

shn,couldn't wait to get home girl!:D
Loved cooking all the that.I had lotta laundry to do in between all these but kids helped out with that.Loving my veggie patch!I miss the dosas!:D

Hi Shi,we had fun,thanks.We took a little easy this summer and rested in the afternoons.Usually,it's a mad rush to see this and that!:D
Tushar is in a Arts and performance magnet middle school and Guitar is his major,so HAD TO go to Gibson's!He loved it,was grinning from ear to ear!:D

Hi Pintoo,thanks girl.I am glad to visit you.I check out some blogs yesterday after all the unpacking!Hope you had a great time too,see you later:))

Hi Gilly,thanks!:))
We had fun yesterday,food and fireworks.I have a big veggie patch 12' by 5',that's where I grow most veggies,pots come later when I run out of space there.I do have huge backyard but my husband maintains the Lawn religiously,won't let me expand the garden!;p

FH said...

Archana,those Tomatoes are Cherry Tomatoes,so you get a whole branch of small tomatoes like grapes.I eat half of those fresh before it reaches the kitchen!:D
You get the Liquid smoke in a bottle and it gives you the taste of real smoked BBQ taste to the sauce without using the grill.They keep near the BBQ,AI sauces at the grocery stores,try it:)

Prajusha,I am missing the dosa too.It never tastes like those when we make at home and then somebody else serves it to us,so it tastes even better!:D
It was fun relaxed vacation,we chose to travel to nearby state instead 1000+ miles we usually do like San Antonio,TX last year!:))

Hi Dalicia,hope you had a great week so far,we had fun eating and fireworks yesterday!:))
Have a great weekend,thanks.

Hi Lisa,we did,now back to routine!:)
Yeah,your kids are too young and you have got to little stronger to cope with two babies.It is hard to travel with kids anyway no matter what age!;p
I will see today,haven't been surfing the blogs much:)

FH said...

Coffee,you did have longer hibernation than me girl!:D
Dal was great ,specially with homegrown greens!
I have seen Singapore so many times on TV and it fascinates me,specially all these Indian restaurants and population there.May be one day, soon Coffee!:))

Hi Keshi,good to see you ,missed you and your posts!:))
Dal is just like Sambhar,very simple one at that.Makhani has cream and butter,very rich for everyday food.
Vacation was fun but no more until Dec. again!:D
Have a great weekend.

Anali,I was sooo disappointed to know that they are closed on Tuesday!! I thought Sunday was the day,so we planned the day trip on Tuesday,didn't check first!
There is an event growing and cooking your own homegrown veggies,I probably cook for that at Aroma!:)
Hope you had fun yesterday.

Sreelu,enjoy your time in India,don't worry about the blog.You can always come back!:))
We have very hot weather here right now,great for tomatoes indeed.
Thanks,have fun there.Hugs.

FH said...

Thank you Roopa!:))
Ondu gida neerilde sayokagittu,bere gidagalu chennagiddavu!:))
I watered them at 8pm as soon as I came back,Ithink it drizzled a bit but not enough to soak the plants during the week.I had a cucumber 1/2 foot long hanging out of the plant,it was funny.Glad you liked the pics,I had to choose out of hundreds!:D

Thanks Viji!:))
You are great girl,always good things to say,my kinda girl.We had fun seeing sights there,makes you happy when you relax and take in all the good things!:)
Have a great weekend,looking forward to your Weekend lunch!

Kajal,thanks sweetie!:))
I didn't open the laptop until Tuesday and had to type all of these in one day!:))
I love creating,so might as well enjoy it too ,right?
You are a great blogger too with all those step by step photos!:)
Have fun this weekend.

J said...

Hi Asha! You are back in full swing!! Great to see those lovely pictures!! The temple was beautiful!! I like Woodlands here too. And your garden is a marvel!
See ya at my blog!

Shobana senthilkumar said...

Hi ashaji,
i am sure u had a great weekend...
Hmmmm the dish looks yumm.The pic r great ...the temple is so devine.
Thanks for sharing

DEEPA said...

wow!!the dal is great ...nice reading asha ji ....u must have had a great vacation...vegetable garden looks nice

Anonymous said...

Your 4th of July meal sounds fantastic! I can't wait to try that chicken.

FH said...

Hi J,we did enjoy the break,now back to business.I did looked at some blogs yesterday,not many.Woodlands is the best.Nearest I have here is about 90miles! I will see you today!:))

You are welcome Priar.I loved the Temple,it's in a beautiful place there!:))

Hi Deepa,it was great for a week while it lasted,enough now for another 6mnts!:D
Loving the garden too.

Hi Kristen,thanks.Hope you try,it was great!Hope you enjoyed yesterday too:))
I was on vacation last 10days,I will see you today.

Cynthia said...

It was embarrassing how long I spent looking at your chicken dish (lol). As always, your spreads are inviting.

Thanks for sharing the pics from your trips. I loved the ironic signs - Gay Street and Church street (lol)

FH said...

LOL!! Cynthia,I loved that sign too,it was so funny in a city full of very conservative people!!They have to name that street Gay and immediately say go the opposite way!:D
BBQ chicken sandwiches were great,hope you try!:)

Richa said...

so true asha, after our 10 day trip to the west coast, all i wanted to do was come home & have dal-chawal :) good to know u had such a nice vacation, all re-charged now :) loved ur garden pics, what a harvest! will post mine soon!

Nee said...

Hey Ashamma,
Welcome back! You sound like you had a great trip! The garden crop really looks awesome - quite the green thumb you've got! The veggies look too good, am almost sad that they will be cut and eaten. No kidding!

*Hugs*
Nee

PS - All the photos were great, but the Gay Street, Church Street photo really took the cake!

Anonymous said...

Ashakka, great to see u back!!!! I see that u had a great time, the garden's wonderful and the pictures too. Cant get enough of amaranth dal! the priests in phoenix too are from udupi , but phoenix doesnt have a big temple , still in the processing of securing permission for one...

sallywrites said...

The Gay Street/Church Street signs remind me of visiting Amsterdam once, where there were two signs over two immediately adjacent doorways: one saying "hetero" and the other saying "homo"....

Could be interesting for those who'd had a tipple or two first....

Anonymous said...

Looks like you had a great vacation.thanks for sharing this pics with us. your garden and veggies looks beautiful :)

Anonymous said...

Hi Asha,

U are back with a bang!Nice to see u had an excellent vacation.
The photoes are beautiful & your garden is thriving.BBQ chicken looks delicious.

Love & Regards,
Kate.

Mona said...

Asha. this brought so amny memories back... I remember seeing all those awesome places of Nashville & Atlanta & Memphis!

& I love Mysore Dosa.

Asha! (((HUGS))) you are an international celebrity & khudos to you for carving this niche with your sheer dedication and hard work!

Priya said...

Yummy Masal Dosa:)) Pictures are beuatiful Asha.

FH said...

Richa,so true.Nothing like a simple hone cooked food!Can't wait to see your garden,wish everybody grows something!I will post for Punjab in 2 weeks:)

Hello Nee,good to see you!:))
Veggies got to cut and eaten unlike flowers!:D
Yeah,vacation was great,now it's over.Glad to be home though,it's too hot outside to walk sight seeing!That sign is really hilarious!:D

Dee,priests are Kannadigas too in AZ! WOW! I guess they are everywhere.I was surprised to hear them speak Kannada,was happy.They are building a huge about 90miles from here,probably open next year.
Hope you had a great day yesterday:))

LOL!! Sally,Homo and Hetero is probably confusing for non-English speakers too even without a tipple!:D

FH said...

You are welcome Jas!:)
Hope I didn't miss too many of your posts,I will check today.

Hi Kate,great to see you girl.Yeah,trip was great,was too hot to walk around too much.Glad to be home though,my veggie garden survived too.Enjoy the recipe:))

Mona,I remember you saying you visited all these places!:))
It's fun to visit one state at a time and learn so much.I love it.
Celebrity? Nah, I am just little homemaker in small town USA!!:D
Thanks though.I loved Masala dosa,we have one Woodlands about 90miles from here!
Have a great weekend ,glad you are awake now from your dreamz!;D

Thank you Priya.Mysore Masal dosa was spicy,they add chutney pd indise which makes it hot!YUM!:))

Anonymous said...

great gems as always been...great dal...seems you had a great vacation...gald you are back...great pics...thanks ben

Prema Sundar said...

Hey Asha,
Looks like u had a great trip. enjoyed reading abt it . BBQ chicken looks great and so is ur garden..

Revathi said...

oh my my my my !!!!!!!

I awe-struck seeing the garden pics and the simple amaranth dal. U really have got the darrrkkkkkk greeeeeennnn thumb !!!

Suganya said...

Mischievous 'Gay St, Church St' photo! I have been wanting to say this. I tried yr cabbage palya and it is the tastiest version i have ever tried. Thank you so much for the recipe. It is a regular in my house now :)

FH said...

Thanks Dilpbhai.G;ad you liked the dal.It's a simple but delicious dish,makes it even delicious with home grown greens!:))

Hi Prema,thanks girl.I was so happy to see they had survived for 10days without water or may be very little rain! Glad to come home to lot of fresh veggies!:)

Thankkk youuuu soo muchhh Revathi!
I don't know how I do it all everyday and every year but somehow it all works out miraculously!:))

Anonymous said...

Hi Asha!
Only you can have the energy and enthu to cook up such a meal after a holiday. Hats off! I was in Nashville for a conference 3 yrs back. Gaylord opryland convention centre - this place was fantastic!! they had created a rainforest inside the building and even had a river pass through with boating and all! I visited all these places too. Love that city!

FH said...

HeHe!! Thanks Suganya.We had stopped at the red light and I looked a these signs,took a photo quickly.It's funny!:D
Cabbage palya is my fav too,glad ypou liked it.It goes well with rice and Chapatis.Enjoy:)

Anonymous said...

thats one huge lovely post asha
happy 4th of july to u too
luv those fresh amarnath leaves more
all those veggies are reaching for ground no matter how high they are :)
amarnath dal is complex
u make all dals with lots of masala?
i just saute amarnath leaves in garlic talimpu and add dal. ufffff
thats lot of work for me :))

elvis home is cool
i wud luv to check out those guitars someday
wish the musuem was open :)
luv those other shots esp the street signs
so architecture interests u
which do u think is lovely temple architecture?
dont consider hight or lenght.
just the design
n congrats on spending 99% time
but we sure missed u ;)
have nice time

www.talimpu.com

evolvingtastes said...

That is some bounty from your garden! Lovely pictures. The dal recipe looks really good too.

Anonymous said...

Hi asha,
Guess u had a great vacation by looking at the pictures.loved the produce from ur garden.

shalini

USHA said...

Hi Ashaji,

Thanks for free tour...hahaha!!!!:))))yep!thats what atleast i felt after finishing last line of the post...

Oh god..i loved that cute mini harvest...hmmmm..i also like to cook our own garden veggies...you are luckily...snaps are nice with new informations...Chicken in sauce..oh god !!its really tempts me alot...

That is correct,,,, after 2-3 days atleast once we need to have our Indian rice once...Even in my akka's place we enjoyed outting ,,having food outside..once i am back to home..first i was craving for hot rasam rice with egg...

FH said...

Hema,that's exactly what I was talking about there.You can buy tickets to go there and enjoy even if we don't stay at Opryland.It is cool!:))
Hope you get to see National Civil rights museum one day, we missed it.Yeah,it took 2 full days for me recover!:D

Anusha,you covered EVERYTHING girl!!:D Thanks for all that.
I love Belur Channakeshava temple in Hassan,K'taka.I used to play there inside the temple every summer.My grandfather has a coffee plantation near Belur.Of course,Channakeshava temple is World famous!That Dal is simple to me girl!;D
Hope you had a happy 4th!:)

Hi E,thanks.I was pleasantly surprised too,glad they didn't die in 10 days!:))

We did enjoy Shalini, thanks.We hadn't been out anywhere for 6mnts bcos of the kids school and all!It was fun:))
Garden has just started to give fruit literally!July and August are months for bounty.

USHA said...

Oh god..how come i forget about that tempting cripsy Mysore Dosa...It is similar as hotel one...i made me remember tamil nadu and karnataka hotels now..:(((

FH said...

Usha,thanks girl!! Hey!,free tour is good right?! Don't have to pay or go there but get to enjoy looking at the photos!:D
Yeah! Rasam,Sambhar tastes the greatest when we eat out for a long time.We went to many Indian restaurants,still it's not like home cooked food at all!:))
Have a great weekend Usha.

KAYLEE said...

THAT FOOD LOOKS GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!Nice blog you have!!!!!!!!!!

Amanda at Little Foodies said...

Hi Asha, Glad you had a great holiday. The dal looks yum and lovely July 4th lunch too! Your veggies are looking amazing... We've had so much rain that ours are getting spoiled. Will just have to indulge in your pics and think of how good ours will be next year when it's going to be the perfect growing weather.

FH said...

Thank you Kaylee.Glad you enjoyed it all,hope you come back!:))

Amanda,sometimes weather can be so finicky! Glad mine survived 10 days without water!:))
Hope you get sunshine there for while at least,we are boiling over here with 90+F heat!It's little scary.Hope you try the BBQ sauce,it's good!:)

Anonymous said...

Asha dear, I missed you and am happy to see you back! Also know how good it is to get away, so happier still you had a lovely vacation! I have yet to visit the south so your photos are a great intro. Garden's looking great too! I won't tell you I'm green with envy.

A veggie dal like that is a good way to come back down to earth after indulging on travels -- hope I get some greens to try, too :)

Have a great weekend.

Sharmi said...

that seems to be a beautiful vacation. I loved your garden. so many veggies:))
The temple looks similar to the Shiva vishnu temple in Maryland.
it is great pleasure when we cook anything picked from our own garden right?

Beccy said...

Wonderful photos from your vacations, sounds like it was a good one.

I tried pulled pork whilst in Florida and thought it divine, now I know how to make it, thanks Asha...and welcome home.

Sia said...

i did check ur post on wed afternoon and was surprised to see none!!!! was busy like bee till now. thank god its weekend:)
all i can see is mysore masala dosa from Woodlands...my god!!!! i am drooooling. its my fav place to eat masala dosa in m'lore n udupi. they r so crisp and yet soft and that potato bhaji is to die for:) i cant stop salivating thinking abt it ashakka:) looks like u surely had gr8 hols:)

FH said...

Hi Linda,thanks friend,it's so good to be home really!It took about 2 days fro me recover,now back to routine,happily I must say!:D
I don't know how did this garden grow so much in just 1 week,I was so happy to see so many veggies ready to be plucked!It's getting hot in the North too now,I am sure they start fruiting there too soon!Enjoy:)

Sharmi,thanks.We did have a great vacation and relaxed too.I didn't expect a full fledged temple there,it was really beautiful surrounded green mountains all around.I enjoyed it. Fresh veggies are always a delight!:)

Beccy,you are right!Pulled Pork is the best.It's slow cooked and smothered with those homemade BBQ sauce!YUM!Mine is just quick fix style,taste good though,may not taste like pro's!:D
YUP! Had a good time ,now back to work as usual!:)

Hi Sia,I saw your comments at Kanchana's and Hema's yesterday and thought "Hey,she forgot me!":D
So,how is the slog going girl? That's ok,I know you are a little free on weekends while I get busy!:))
I posted little later around 11.45am so I can get the photos.Masala dosa was to die for,I ate 3 lunches there,it was little embarrassing to see the same ppl again and again just to eat dosa!:D
Post some details on your vacation,curious where did you visit? Have a great weekend Sups.Hugs:)

Kalpana said...

Good that u had wonderful days. Hey, did u go thru the link of Hindu wisdom. I loved that site. If u have time, do go thru it. Take care.

FH said...

Hi Kalpana,we did thanks!:))
I will get that link and will read this afternoon.Mornings are busy for me.Thanks for that too.I do have many books on Hinduism as well and on Indian Philosophy.I love those!:)
Have a great weekend.

Bong Mom said...

Stll lurking, but just wanted to say a quick "Hi"..shall be back soon :)

FH said...

Hahaha!! Take it easy Sandeepa.Life's getting busier these days,I know!:)
Hi to you too.Have a great weekend.Hugs.

Meena Raj said...

Asha.. It felt like we took a vacation along with you. Such nice pictures and a beautiful write up.. Also enjoyed your veggie patch. It always refreshing to see some fresh greens.

FH said...

Hi Meena,thank you.Glad you liked the photos.It was a fun holiday but I am back to my cozy home out of that heat!:))
Fresh veggies are the best!Have a fun weekend Meena.

By Deepa and Supriya said...

asha,
apologies for missing out on so many of yours posts.... i have been off the blog for a couple of reasons and slowly getting back now. Looks like you had a great holiday and as usual your recipes look delicioso!

Chandrika said...

Glad to see you back Asha! And that is one scrumptious lunch! :-)

FH said...

Hi Orchid,I know you are taking a little break,that's okay!:))
Yaeh! We had a good relaxing vacation this time unlike other times.But glad to be home out of the heat!:D
Hope family is doing well.See you later.Hugs:)

Hello Chandrika,great to see you girl.I miss your posts with gorgeous photos!:))
Hope you blog whenever you can.Enjoy BBQ sandwiches.Have a great weekend.

Meena Kandlakuti said...

Asha..nice pics...and happy to read all of them..Thanks a lot for sharing them with us:-))

FH said...

Hi Meena,thanks friend!:))
Hope I didn't miss too many of your posts while I was away.Have a great weekend.

Lotus Reads said...

What a great post, Asha! Love your pictures and recipes! I am so jealous of your harvest, nothing like eating food grown yourself, no?

And that picture of the signs...Gay Street and CHurch Street sure made me smile. I love looking for hidden surprises like that when I go on holiday.

Anyway, glad you're back, are you going to stay put now or are you planning another one?

FH said...

Thanks Lotus.Hope you enjoyed your long Independence day holiday.I am back and I am going to stay put until December!:)It's too hot go anywhere now.Just want to stay in and relax.Canada must have lot better weather than this.
Did you Sally's comment about Amsterdam having "Homo" and Hetero" signs? That was hilarious!:D
Have a great day.

starry said...

Beautiful pics Asha and Oh I would love to have a woodlands Masala dosa.

FH said...

Hi Lalitha,so good to see you girl.Hope you are doing well!
I know.I feel like that too whenever I look at that picture.Unfortunately,Woodland's is about 90miles away for here!:D
Have a great week.Hugs:)

Anonymous said...

lovely pictures Ashaji - loved the pics of your garden grown veges/greens.

Will have to try that daal, but not sure if we get those amarnath leaves here. hope you had a great weekend, cant wait for you next 'milestone' post :-)

FH said...

Abha,thanks buddy!:))
Amaranth greens are pretty hard to get,I grew them in my backyard,otherwise no chance of buying those here either!:))
Milestone is coming!;D

Bharathy said...

Nice to see the post Asha..:)..and glad to note that you had a fine break!!..

Woodlands dosa,an evergreen product looks sooo yummy...

Missed you a loooooot Asha...and feeling really happy to welcome you back in my place..:)

FH said...

Hi Bharathy,I have you in my blog roll,but somehow it shows your posts so late! Glad to see you too,thanks.
We had great time but it's too hot in June,so glad to be home!:))
Keep it cool there,it's dangerously hot today.

Sig said...

Asha, I did read the post before... I was eating or drinking or something at that time, didn't have a hand free to leave a comment and then forgot to come back :)...
Amazing pictures, and a great travellogue... I got the answers right, yippppeeee.... :):)
I've had pulled pork but not with the Lexington BBQ sauce , u built it us so much, I have to taste it now :) And what a spread... u are amazing!

Keshi said...

I love Sambhar! I make it too..sometimes...but Im sure it aint as good as ur's!

Keshi.

Lakshmi said...

Hi Ashaji, loved all the pics. Your write up reflects the fun you had during your vacation! Woodlands dose yummmm... Recently we visited Langkawi(a beautiful malaysian island) and we found a Woodlands there too!How happy my father was to eat Dosa in a far off land and Dosa was as good as the one served in Bangalore or Mysore.

FH said...

Hi Sig,was eating or drinking and checking my blog?!:D You made me smile,thank you but don't forget come back girl!Good that I reminded you!:)
Lexington is famous for BBQ.I think they have authentic sauce recipe somewhere in the web.Try it.
Thanks for guessing too,I always wanted to have a guessing game in my blog too!It was fun.Have a great day Sig.

Keshi,I am sure you make some Sinhalese dishes too!:))
I have a Srilankan cookbook too,I will cook something from it someday.Have fun today:))

Hi T,Woodlands in an Island? They are EVERYWHERE,aren't they?:D
I bet you all were happy to see that there,I was too in Nashville.Nearest we have here is about 90miles.It was great except coconut chutney.I don't understand why they use Dry coconut instead of fresh to make chutney?! It spoils everything for us!!;D
Thanks for visiting me today.

Mallika said...

So that's where you went!! I am useless... I recently discovered pulled pork and LOVED it. Thanks so much for the chicken version. I will definitely try it one evening.

FH said...

Hi Mallika.Yeah! Just Nashville.We decided to drive short distance this time.It's too hot go anywhere these days except Europe, probably lot cooler there.
Try BBQ sauce,may not be as good as Lexington BBQ but it's quite good!:D
Have a great day,thanks for visiting:))

SeeC said...

Hi Asha,

Lovely Garden and Lovely pictures.
Good to know about Foodie's Hope.
Waiting for Wednesday :)


Have a nice day !

FH said...

Hi Seec,thanks.Good to see you here too.Wednesday post will be here shortly!:))

ServesYouRight said...

Happy Anniversary!!! Heres to many more!! Btw - the kadubu made me gasp in pleasure - super-nice!! As always, good to hear from you :-)

Smita

FH said...

Thank you Smita.Always a pleasure to visit you sister!:))
Benne Kadubus with spicy red coconut chutney!!YUM!!! Glad you know about them.I love those kinda of food.Enjoy and hope you try making at home.It's easy.Take care,hugs!:))

Shoba Havalad said...

heyy....Its a beautiful blog. I loved reading the comments and recipes. I liked your Mirchi kaa Saalan recipe. I teach Indian cooking in Glenview,IL.
I have a blog myself...
blog.shobasindiancooking.com
Please visit

Shoba Havalad said...

Hi Asha...beautiful blog. I enjoyed reading the comments and recipes. I liked mirchi kaa salan recipe. I teach indian cooking classes in Glenview,IL
I have a blog also
blog.shobasindiancooking.com
Please visit.

FH said...

Hi Shobha,so good to see you here.Thanks. Glad you found me.I will check out your blog.You have a cooking class!! That is so cool.Good for you!
Have a great day and hope to see you back!:)

Sana said...

Asha,

I just posted a sandwich recipe using your BBQ sauce recipe. It tastes great!! Thanks

FH said...

You are welcome Sana, enjoy!:))