Geetha's Kitchen

Here are some pictures of the buds, blooms, and critters. I finally managed to capture the baby bunny on 'film'; but alas, he has grown quite a bit! I had wanted to catch him at his 'ping pong ball size' stage; oh well, he is still small compared to the mature ones. Aha! Got you finally! - Cotton Tail Rabbit Two big ones Pretty pink posy - Geranium Don't these grapes look grand? More pink posies - Mexican Primrose some mint I grew from the stems California Poppy Red Flax Lovely Columbine Purple Posy -Martha Washington Geranium 'New Day'

Puliyodarai means tamarind rice. It is one of the triumvirate of traditional dishes (along with Lemon Rice and Yogurt rice ) that always made its delicious and much anticipated appearance at our picnics. (They also make wonderful journey food as they last a while without refrigeration.) Traditional puliyodarai does not contain veggies. Puliyodarai With Veggies This is a delectable recipe that is easy for family meals and impressive enough for parties too. I use the packaged Puliyogare Mix to season the rice and veggies. Leftover plain steamed rice can also be used to make this dish. Frozen veggies make it a snap to prepare; but if you prefer, you can use fresh vegetables. I generally like to use mild flavored veggies like corn, green beans, carrots, peas, etc which do not compete with the seasonings. Puliyogare Mix and other ingredients are available in Indian markets. Puliyodarai is traditionally served with lots of fried papadams and accompanied by traditional...

This salad is quick and easy to make but never fails to impress - beautiful and delicious! Use whatever long strands of pasta you might have in the pantry - spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccine. The zucchinis practically disappear while imparting their mellow sweet flavor. Spaghetti Salad I cook the pasta in plain water without any salt and use the cooled pasta water to water the plants; the starches and sugars in it is great for reviving languishing plants, especially the potted ones. We have to conserve water however we can :-}! 8 Servings Ingredients: 1 lb package dry Spaghetti 2 medium Zucchini, grated coarsely 8 oz. package frozen small peas, thawed 1/4 cup Red Onion, thinly sliced 3 or 4 medium Roma Tomatoes, chopped 1/2 tsp Sea Salt or to taste 1/3 cup Basil-Parsley Pesto 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil Freshly ground Black Pepper 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese Garnish: 1/4 cup Kalamata Olives, pitted 1/4 cup chopped Pistachio nuts Method: Cook the spaghetti in boiling water acc...

This basic pizza dough is wonderful; use it to make pizza, rolls, calzone, etc. It is really very quick and easy especially if you use a food processor. The slow rising overnight in the fridge contributes to the wonderful flavor. The aroma that the baking dough exudes is just to live for :)! Once you taste it, you may never want to go back to the purchased bread dough full of preservatives. The whole wheat flour increases both the taste and the nutrient content. According to the nutrition experts we should be eating at least half of our cereal/grains whole. This is a fun science/cooking project for children. The dough is more fun than play dough since they can eat it after they are done playing with it! Makes 4 pizzas. Ingredients: 2 cups unbleached flour (+ more for dusting and kneading) 3 cups whole wheat flour 1/2 cup coarse cornmeal 2 packages (1/4 oz. each) Active Dry Yeast 4 tsp coarse salt 1/4 cup Extra virgin olive oil Method: Make the dough: In a food processor, pulse to...