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Do you store basil last summer? I did it and I'm using it to add a 'summer touch' to some dishes, like this hearty pasta.

Tortellini with Salami and Basil

Ingredients:
Serves two:
200g ham tortellini
100g salami
100ml single cream
1 cube of frozen basil (or 2-3 tbsp of minced fresh basil)

Method:
Cook tortellini in boiling salted water until al dente.
Meanwhile put the single cream and cubed salami on a pan and let thicken for a couple of minutes. Remove from heat and add the basil.
Drain well the tortellini, season with the salami sauce and serve immediately.

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I am entering this in Presto Pasta Nights, this week hosted by The Well Seasoned Cook.

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I have sowed many plants indoor, these are some of the plants that I'm nurturing this winter.

Nigella or Kalonji is used as a spice, its seeds have a light onion aroma.
I don't know what kind of plant it will be, its flowers shoud be nice.

Nigella Recipes

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Last year I hear about many interesting recipes with rhubarb, so I decided to try it.
My cat ate a leaf... do you think that she liked it?

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Creating my own herbal teas mixtures is one of the reasons why I grow aromatic herbs.
This is an idea for a sweet herbal tea.

Seeds Herbal Tea

Makes one cup of tea:
1 pinch fennel seeds
1 pinch anise seeds
1 pinch coriander seeds
1 pinch cumin seeds

Cover with boiling water and steep for ten minutes.

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This goes to JFI Fennel, an event started by Indira.

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Sometimes it seems that I can't have enough fresh coriander. I sow it three times:
- in September to harvest the leaves during winter
- in January to harvest the leaves in spring
- in March to harvest the leaves durint summer and the seeds in autumn

So now I'm harvesting fresh leaves from the autumn plants, and these in the picture are the newborn January plants.
This is my trick to prepare fresh dishes like this even in winter.

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Avocado Nachos Dip with Coriander

Ingredients:
1 avocado
2 coriander sprigs
150ml white yogurt
1/2 tsp of Taco Seasoning Mix
nachos

Method:
Peel and deseed the avocado, then smash it into a puree. Add the minced coriander, the yogurt and the taco seasoning mix.
Serve as a nachos dip.

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Links:
Another nachos dip recipe: Nachos Pink Dip with Jalapenos.

This post joins to The 'No Cook' Event, a vegetarian event.

I will send this recipe also to Healing Foods - Avocado.

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With my harvested lemon grass, I made the famous Thai Chicken Soup and this homemade thai curry paste.

I prepare often the thai curry paste, creating many variations. I enjoyed this one, with lemon and ginger.
I used Hot Lemon chilies because they're yellow, but also because they have a lemony aroma. If you don't have these chilies use any yellow chili, but not the ones with a strong pepper aroma.

Yellow Thai Curry Paste

Ingredients:
3 shallots
3 cloves garlic
4cm size piece of ginger
5cm lemon zest
1/2 lemon grass stalk
1 tbsp fish sauce (Nuoc Nam)
4 Hot Lemon chilies
1 Rocoto Canario chili
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
2cm size piece of cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp of turmeric

Method:
Peel the shallots, garlic and ginger. Remove stems and seeds from the chilies.
Blend all ingredients with a food processor, until smooth.

You can divide the Curry Paste into six parts, using them or storing them in the refrigerator.

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Some ideas:

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Steamed Vegetables with Thai Curry Paste

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