Grow Your Own (GYO) #45 ROUNDUP!

I was absolutely honored to be able to host Grow Your Own (GYO) #45 in September.  I love learning about all the different plants and animals that are available in different parts of the year.  It always amazes me I don't why to hear about the end of winter finding those from the other side of the globe, as I'm thinking about my end of summer goodies! For more information or to see past roundups and future hosts, visit GYO's creator, Andrea of Andrea's Recipes.  We had an AWESOME turnout this month and I want to send a huge thank you to everybody who participated- everything looks amazing and I met some new bloggers along the way...bonus!!  So, without further ado, let's check out what people from around the globe grew, raised, hunted, foraged, or received this month...and what they cooked up with it!

In the order they were received...

Allison from The Neon Celery Kitchen (New Hampshire, USA) uses a variety of HEIRLOOM TOMATOES to share a Summer in a Bowl with us...because some things can only truly be enjoyed during summer!

Summer in a Bowl from Neon Celery Kitchen

Ree from Milk, Sugar, Musings & Love (Massachusetts, USA) uses homegrown YELLOW CHERRY TOMATOES, PARSLEY and BASIL to make her Tomato-Feta Pasta Salad.

Tomato-Feta Pasta Salad from Milk, Sugar, Musings & Love

And even though there's usually only one entry per person, per month, when Ree sent me a second entry...I figured why not!?  So... Ree from Milk, Sugar, Musings & Love (Massachusetts, USA) uses homegrown LAVENDER to make Lemon Lavender Sables.

Lemon Lavender Sables from Milk, Sugar, Musings & Love

Dorothy from Shockinglydelicious (California, USA) uses her abundant BASIL to bring us a very versatile Basil-Honey Dressing.

Basil-Honey Dressing from Shockinglydelicious

Adrienne from Adrienne's Food Adventures (Wisconsin, USA) put the gorgeous purple GRAPES that her aunt gave her to good use when making her homemade Grape Jelly...a perfect match for peanut butter.

Homemade Grape Jelly from Adrienne's Food Adventures

I Heather from girlichef (Indiana, USA) decided to use my beautiful bounty of HEIRLOOM TOMATOES and that tasty weed, PURSLANE to make a simple, yet wonderful Purslane, Heirloom Tomato, and Onion Salad to bid summer a fond adieu...

Purslane, Heirloom Tomato, & Onion salad from girlichef

MomGateway from MomGateway: Portal to Easy and Healthy Recipes (USA) uses YOUNG TAMARIND LEAVES (!!!) to make a mouthwatering Rib-eye Rice Bowl.

Rib-Eye Rice Bowl from MomGateway

Helen from Miz Helen's Country Cottage (Texas, USA) put her abundant CORN to fabulous use when she got an early start on presents for the holidays with her Corn Relish (Geez! I wish I was that organized...I've thought about it, but not actually done anything about it...)!

Corn Relish from Miz Helen's Country Cottage

ButterPoweredBike of Hunger and Thirst (Colorado, USA)...who never EVER ceases to amaze me with her amazing foraging and gaming prowess...uses SQUIRREL, ELDERBERRIES, JUNIPER, and WILD ONIONS to make her Squirrel Fricassee w/ Elderberry, Juniper and Wild Onion Gravy.

Squirrel Fricassee w/ Elderberry, Juniper, and Wild Onion Gravy from Hunger and Thirst

Santosh of Santosh's Kitchen (India) uses FENUGREEK LEAVES (or Methi) to make some tempting, healthy, kid and adult-satisfying Besan & Methi Leaves Paratha.

Besan and Methi Leaves Paratha from Santosh's Kitchen

Nate and Annie from House of Annie (Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia) use LONG BEANS to create some delectable Stir-Fried Pork with Long Beans...extremely mouthwatering!

Stir-Fried Pork and Long Beans from House of Annie

Soma from eCurry (Texas, USA) has all kinds of gorgeous produce in the backyard, but turnss some personal-sized CANTELOUPES into some absolutely gorgeous and tempting Melon Fruit Bowls!

Melon Fruit Bowls from eCurry

Dave from My Year on the Grill (Kansas, USA) may have the tiniest garden in the world, but he managed to put it...all of it...to good use.  He used his one and only plant BASIL to make a fabulous pesto which he turned into some gorgeous Caprese Salad in a Puff Pastry appetizers.

Caprese Salad in Puff Pastry from My Year on the Grill

Cathy from Bread Experience (Georgia, USA) uses ROMA TOMATOES, ENGLISH THYME, and LEMON THYME grown in her container garden...paired with some homemade sourdough rye bread...to put together a perfectly delectable Sourdough Strata with Tomatoes and Greens.

Sourdough Strata with Tomatoes and Greens from Bread Experience

Graziana from Erbe in Cucina (Italy) is growing many mild chilis this year and uses BANANA SWEET, REDSKIN, and CASCABEL chilis to make a rich, colorful, chili-laden Vegan Chili Beschamel.

Vegan Chili Beschamel from Erbe in Cucina

Alex from A Moderate Life (New York, USA) foraged some ROSE HIPS from some sea rose bushes while in the park with her daughters one day and used them to make an old herbal remedy, Rose Hip Syrup!

Rose Hips readied for Rose Hip Syrup from A Moderate Life

My friend Deb from Kahakai Kitchen (Honolulu, Hawaii, USA) uses OPAL BASIL, MINT, and STEVIA grown in her container garden and a ginormous HONEYDEW MELON that was given to her to make a cooling Honeydew Melon, Opal Basil & Mint Frappé. Ahhh, the land of eternal summer ;-)

Honeydew Melon, Opal Basil, & Mint Frappé from Kahakai Kitchen

Next up is Greg from Sippity Sup-Serious Fun Food (Hollywood, CA, USA) ...he shares his Lambrusco-Poached Figs w/ Vanilla Bean Ice Cream using the last of his locally poached urban foraged FIGS.  Decadence!

Lambrusco-Poached Figs w/ Vanilla Bean IceCream from Sippity Sup!

Lynn from Queen of the Castle Recipes (California, USA) has a wonderful crop of big, fat GREEN BELL PEPPERS this year, so she decided to break out the tongue twisters and stock her pantry with some beautiful jars of Pickled Peppers!

Pickled Peppers from Queen of the Castle Recipes

Dalia from Septyni Virtieniai (Seven Dumplings) (Lithuania) is taking part in a blogging event for her very first time this month with her GYO submission...so let me be the first to welcome you and thank you for sharing with us, Dalia!!!  Dalia told me that growing your own is just a normal part of life in Lithuania  everybody lives that way (wonderful!). This month Dalia uses LAGENARIA SICERARIA from her garden to bring us Lagenaria With Rice And Yellow Lentils.

Lagenaria with rice and yellow lentils from Septyni Virtieniai

Beth Anne from The Seventh Level of Boredom (Illinois, USA) uses some gorgeous BRUSSELS SPROUTS to re-create a dish she made earlier in the year Brussels Sprouts Hash w/ Pancetta. YUM!!

Brussels Sprout Hash from The Seventh Level of Boredom

Bonnie from City Home / Country Home (Utah, USA) uses a variety of colorful and beautiful HEIRLOOM TOMATOES to bring us a creamy, warm and tempting (three varieties, actually) of Cream of Tomato Soup!

Cream of Tomato Soup from City Home / Country Home

Christy from Frugality and Crunchiness with Christy (Indiana, USA) used a couple of little "bonus" PUMPKINS sprung from her compost bin...love it when that happens...truly!...to make both a Pumpkin with Spices dish and some luscious Pumpkin Butter!!

Pumpkin w/ Spices from Frugality and Crunchiness with Christy

Daniel of The Haggis and The Herring (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) uses some gifted TOMATOES and BASIL to put together a Rustic Tomato Basil Bruschetta on Pumpernickel ...using up a loaf that was beckoning from his counter. YUM!

Rustic Tomato and Basil Bruschetta on Pumpernickel from The Haggis and the Herring

Denise from Oh Taste N See (Washington, USA) uses some beautiful red RADISHES that she grew in her garden to make a delicious Red Radish Kurma.  Plus, she shares some wise words that her grandmother gave her ☺.

Red Radish Kurma from Oh Taste N See

Amanda from The Cilantropist (San Diego, CA, USA) absolutely knocks it out of the park when she uses some homegrown Lemongrass and Kaffir Lime Leaves given to her by a friend to make an inspired pot of Tom Yum Goong and homemade Nam Prik Pao.

Tom Yum Goong w/ homeade Nam Prik Pao from The Cilantropist

Lalitha from Indian Spice Magic (India) uses some lovely homegrown SPINACH that she's grown in a pot from spinach roots to make a very satisfying Spinach Masoor Dal.

Spinach Masoor Dal from Indian Spice Magic

Kim of LemonyZest (Virginia, USA) uses BELL PEPPERS, JALAPEñOS, and GARLIC grown in her garden to make a flavor-packed Pasta Primavera with Chicken Andouille Sausage.

Pasta Primavera with Chicken Andouille Sausage from LemonyZest

What better what to round out the entries than to end with GYO's creator Andrea of Andrea Meyers: cooking, gardening, & four hungry guys (Northern Virginia, USA) drool-inducing Spiced Tomato Jam with Pinot Noir, in which she used a great crop of TOMATOES, possibly the last before the plants succumb to this years crazy heat wave...or critters, whichever the case may be.

Spiced Tomato Jam w/ Pinot Noir from Andrea Meyers

I am so impressed by everybody's posts and want to say thanks again for having me as a host this month!  Be sure to check out who will be hosting in the coming months by clicking HERE!