Mediterranean Herb Spice Simple Vegetable Melange

Today is a big day for me... But you have to wait til the end of the post to hear why.


Yesterday, I did my favorite post of the year... Raspberry Chipotle Marinated Sausage Stuffed Spiral Cut Pork Loin with a Bacon Lattice.


Today, just the simple vegetables that I served to accompany the masterpiece shown above.

The Pork Loin did take a bit of time.  Probably counting every step, nearly an hour to assemble.  I needed something simple and fast to keep from spending all day on the kitchen.  These were perfect.


Cooking time and temperatures were exactly the same as the pork loin.  One goes in the oven, same time as the other.  One comes out, same time as the other.


And easy...


a half dozen Red Potatoes, diced to bite size
a half dozen Fresh Carrots, halved and quartered
a bag of tiny Pearl Onions, tops and ends cut off, the outer skin removed


Olive oil to coat
2 TBS "Not Your Grandmother's Herbes de Provence" Spice mix


As to the "Not Your Grandmother's Herbes de Provence" Spice mix, again, I like to make my own.  This is a mix of mostly Mediterranean herbs and spices.  I make a big batch about once every other month.  Always fresh and always at hand to add an herb taste to any dish... 


There are plenty of commercially available spice mixes you could use for this.    Or, just pick your favorite spice.  Dill alone would make a terrific flavor enhancer, or play the Simon and Garfunkel song while you add Parley, sage, Rosemary and Thyme.  But, making a batch in advance is so much easier.  Once you have a jar of this, you will make it a point to never go without again.


OK... Back to the recipe (come on, it's a cooking technique, too easy to call it a recipe)...


Just arrange the vegetables however you think is attractive in a large shallow bowl.  You want the tops to get a bit  crunchy, while the bottoms will retain the soft texture of cooked veggies.  Drizzle the oil over, then top with the "Not Your Grandmother's Herbes de Provence" Spice mix.  And bake at 350 degrees for about an hour and a half; alongside the pork, which that you are monitoring the internal temperature (internal temp on the pork, 150 degrees).


And that's it.  Listen, I love a complicated recipe as much as the next presentation inspired cook.  But sometimes, you just want a little roasted vegetables with a light seasoning...


Like these...

And now for something completely different...





I received a very exciting email today.  I was selected as 1 of 100 bloggers to host a POM DINNER PARTY!  In addition to lots of freebies from Pom Wonderful (Is there a single company out there that is nicer to bloggers than Pom Wonderful???), I have an opportunity to win fame and valuable prizes.  I'll be honest, it hurt when I was passed over for the Foodbuzz contest last month.  Not that I expected to win, but losing out on a chance to accept the challenges hurt.


So, I am excited to again refocus my efforts, regird my loins (ouch) and move on to new challenges.  I have decided to again make a multi course meal, complete with new recipes, new drinks, new challenges to pull the entire evening off.


This time, I am going to change my strategy a bit.  No old friends will be invited, I am going to invite KC area bloggers (and any bloggers willing to visit KC).  make this into a smallish blogger meet-up.  I read of the Tennessee meet-up, the occasional NYC meet-up, etc and am very jealous.  It is just too easy to write up our recipes that we share with just our family and a few friends.  the best part of blogging is getting to know in small ways, like minded people.


Time for the KC area like minded people to meet-up.


SO, if you are a KC area blogger... drop me a note.


If you are able, willing and interested in visiting KC around Sunday, November 14th, drop me a note.  Nothing would please me more than to have Mary, Southern Mary, Carolina Mary, Kris, Penny, Margarete, Lea Ann,  Any of my friends from Our Krazy Kitchen, any of the 6 Merry Murderesses of the Mystery Lover's Kitchen, the Dude, Biz and/or Jenn, Heather or Joanne or any of the dozen or so bloggers I have stolen recipes from to attend...


Any takers????


...