Four Seasons of My Favorite Herb

The rhythms of food blogging are fascinating. Time and again, we hear:

• "It started as a lark, then it took on a life of its own."
  
• "I started a blog to organize my recipes, then discovered the world of food blogs."
  

Both could apply to Weekend Herb Blogging, whose first anniversary is being celebrated this week at Kalyn's Kitchen. Stop in to chuckle over the first lark-ish weeks, then see all the nationalities represented in Week 51. And for Week 52, you play too, even if you haven't before, for the anniversary.

It's an herb party! And all the guests are unveiling their favorite herbs, which with all due respect to Kalyn, to my mind is as impossible as naming a single favorite pie, cookie or yes, vegetable. It depends on the day, the season, the mood. Who'd give up summer's sweet basil for winter's rosemary? Who'd pick only tarragon or dill or thyme for fish? Who'd forgo the sweet specialness of lavender for the everyday-ness of ......

Hmm. The everyday-ness. Suddenly I knew, no question, no debate.

Hello, my name is Alanna and my favorite herb is the chive.

Yes, the lowly chive, it's my choice for my deserted-herb-island even if it's always last on ingredient lists, even then, usually 'optional'. Four seasons a year, I step outside just before supper to snip off a few strands for a salad, for a soup, for potatoes, for meat, for dessert ... well, not dessert, not yet anyway. And here's a lovely little salmon chowder topped with those few snips.

Congratulations, Mz Kalyn ... it's remarkable, really,
how Weekend Herb Blogging started as a pet-less lark, then, with a life of its own, has come to represent the creativity and community of the world of food blogging.

(c) Copyright 2006 Kitchen Parade