Friday, September 7, 2012

MULTI-PURPOSE QUARK AND ZUCCHINI SAUCE - SAUCE MULTI-USAGE AU SERE ET A LA COURGETTE & MY INTERVIEW FOR SAVEUR.COM

Quark Zucchini Dip 9 3 bis
Who knows where inspiration comes from. Perhaps it arises from desperation. Perhaps it comes from the flukes of the universe, the kindness of the muses.
- Amy Tan

And immersion in random absurdity can be a perfect remedy to thinking too much. It leads to art and science. It leads to madness and inspiration. It leads to fun.
-  Chris Corner of IAMX
Inspiration comes in many forms and shapes. It can be found serendipitiously at any moment (while you shower, eat breakfast, have a walk, meditate, etc... - especially during downtime as then your mind is free and you have the opportunity to be reflective), everywhere and in everything (books, music, photography, movies, beauty, ugliness, news reports, sad/tragic or happy events, people, acts of courage/kindness/cruelty, mistakes, smells, nature, memories, etc...). In order to connect with it, one just needs to open wide his/her soul and heart, be receptive to its calling and remember that it is as slippery as soap, as ephemeral as a rainbow, as fragile as a butterfly and as impalpable as a ghost.

It is wildly rampant, exhaliratingly magical, a kind of cosmic drug that sets you on fire, puts you in a semi-shamanic trance, makes you feel invicible and linked to the Universe, an awesome productivity multiplier, a great encourager, an amazing enthusiasmer as well as a terrific motivator. Its purpose is the arousal of our emotions and the elevation of our mind, but sadly, as it is the case with all that has the particularity of being immaterial, you cannot summon it at will or bottle it up for later use.


Quark Zucchini Dip 4 1 bis
Inspiration is in seeing a part of the whole with the part of the whole in you.
- Kahlil Gibran

Inspirations never go in for long engagements; they demand immediate marriage to action.
- Brendan Francis

Just like a vision or revelation, it generally grabs you unexpectedly, comes in a flash, hits you without warning and is highly perishable. During a very short lapse of time, ideas sparkle/fuse and start to form, but this state of awareness doesn't last eternally, so if you don't act immediately and capture those visions or thoughts on the spot, they tend to fade and disappear as quickly as it came.

Hence, it is good to know when you are prone to intellectual enlightment (aka peaks of brilliance - mine come mainly in the morning and occasionally in the evening) and always be ready to beat the iron while it's burning hot and make sure that you keep a consistant physical trace (more than scribblings, voice memos or sketches) of your creative meanderings.

You have to tap this source before the well of wonders tarishes as illumination will not wait for you. Once the train has left it will not come back,therefore, it is important to run with it, to let it sweep you away, to capitalize and focus completely on it as well as optimize it whenever you have the opportunity and not to be parasited by anything or anyone during these brief periods of sheer clarity. In one word, understand how your think tank functions, learn to make space in your day for your inspiration to proliferate furiously and try to momentarily isolate yourself from the outside world. You'll fastly see results if you follow those basic rules.

Regrettably, it is impossible to be constantly touched by divine grace and unfortunately, sometimes we have to go through a few depressingly and ego-shattering dry spells (writer's/painter's/composer's/etc... block) before we get our mojo back and chanel the spirits of ingenuity again. Happily, these phases are mostly not everlasting and a short break from the routine usually solves the problem. You'll be surpised to see in which manner doing something completely different or escaping to a happy and different place (holidays, a hike, a nap, visiting a friend or family, going out to eat, aimlessly watching a program on TV or surfing the net, etc...) can have a positive impact on your productivety/artistic performance.

Thankfully for me, those frustratingly infructuous  intervals rarely go on forever. It seems that I am always able to draw inspiration from whatever surrounds me (I even marvel at the stupidest and meaningless of things) and nearly never fails to find subjects to write about or compose innovative eats. I guess this has a lot to do with the fact that I am a person whose brain rarely rests and is like an erupting volcano, a daydreamer with an insatiable curiosity and an individual who has kept my inner child alive.

If you give me one simple ingredient and ask me to invent a meal, you can be pretty sure that I'll come up with a recipe which is far from being ordinary and has a zest of originality. Developping dishes without having to cogitate much is one of my strong points as I am capable of summuning my culinary genius easily.

For example, a few days ago, I had some
quark (fresh cheese which can be found in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Russia, etc...) in my fridge and really wanted to sublime it by transforming it into a fresh, tasty, healthy and summery sauce which could be poured cold over boiled potatoes, accompany hot or cold staples and be used in multiple ways (dip, spread and dressing), so that's how I concocted a succulent and versatile "Quark And Zucchini Sauce". Perfect for this transitional season...

I am really thrilled and proud to announce that Rosa's Yummy Yums is listed on SAVEUR's "Sites We Love"!!! A dream come true... To read my interview, please head over there.

Quark Zucchini Dip 6 2 bis
Quark Zucchini Dip 8 3 bis

Sauce Multi-Usage Au Séré Et A La Courgette
Recette par Rosa Mayland, Septembre 2012.

Pour environ 2 tasses.

Ingrédients:
250g de Séré/fromage blanc (demi-gras de préférence)
1 Petite (150g) Courgettes, râpée
2 Oeufs durs, hachés
1 Gousse d'ail, finement hachée
1 Echalote, finement hachée
2 CS de Graines de citrouille, torréfiées et finement hachées
2 CC de Pesto (fait maison ou acheté)
1 CC de Zeste de citron (bio)
1 Pincée de Poudre de piment de la Jamaïque
Tabasco rouge, selon goût
Poivre noir fraîchement moulu, selon goût
Sel de mer fin, selon goût

Méthode:
1. Mélanger tous les ingrédients ensemble.
2. Servir.


Quark Zucchini Dip 2 2 bis
Remarques:
Vous pouvez remplacer le séré par un autre fromage frais (de chèvre, de brebis ou de vache) de votre choix, du yaourt grec, un mélange de ricotta et de crème fraîche (2 parts/1 part), du mascarpone ou du cream cheese (n'oubliez pas que le mascarpone et le cream cheeese sont beaucoup plus riches que le séré demi-gras).

Suggestion d'accompagnement:
Servir comme dip avec des légumes crus en bâtonnets ou en tranches (carottes, concombre, courgette, céleri branche, poivron, champignons de Paris, chou-fleur, jicama, etc...).
Servir comme tartinade avec du pain ou des craquelins.
Servir comme sauce avec du poisson (truite, saumon, cabillaud, etc...), de la viande grillée, des pommes de terre en robe des champs, des frites au four, des légumes vapeur ou des pâtes.

Servir comme sauce à salade (pommes de terres, pâtes, riz ou légumes grillés).

68 comments:

  1. Ça me plaît beaucoup!
    La recette... et les photos!

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  2. Superbe billet: plaisir des yeux et certainement des papilles. Bravo pour l'article dans Saveurs!
    Bises et bon we
    Dominique

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  3. JUST GORGEOUS Rosa. Congrats on the Saveur inclusion...that is brilliant, as are your photographs! Anything quark works for me...and how! This is a beautiful post. And I have to add I love Amy Tan.

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  4. Beautiful photos, Rosa! The sauce looks splendidly delicious. :D

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  5. I'd love to sit down to this sauce, some bread, and a glass of wine. Sounds lovely. Congratulations on being on Saveur!

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  6. Gorgeous photos as always. I love the use of ingredients - so fresh.

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  7. HI Rosa,
    What a fabulous combination of flavours and it looks so moreish and mouth watering!
    Cheers and hope you have a superb weekend,
    Lia.

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  8. looks so good this sauce!!! :)
    i always like your photo :)

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  9. I just found your blog thanks to Saveur. Oh my! So far, all the recipes I've seen look absolutely amazing! I'll be back!

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  10. First of all, a heartfelt big congratulation for the Saveur distinction; you deserve it 100% for the beautiful photograph, impassioned text and great recipes.
    Love this one photo as well as the recipes.

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  11. Ah, I love quark and this sauce is such a great idea Rosa.

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  12. Congrats!! It is a shame that I hever used quark :( It sounds so love and summer fresh.

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  13. I am absolutely thrilled for you! Wonderful to be recognized by Saveur, and I loved the interview too!

    You deserve it all!

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  14. Congrats for being featured in Saveur ..you deserve it for sure Rosa. Love ur pictures, writeup and recipes... This dip/sauce is absolutely yumm :)

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  15. J'adore cette sauce/tartinade. J'en mangerais clairement avec du pain pita ou du pain naan!

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  16. Great recipe
    I am always and still impress of the life which comes out of your picture and the kind of serenity.
    Bises

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  17. The zucchini photo is fabulous, as are all of your photos. Congratulations on being featured in Saveur.
    Sam

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  18. Congratulations on your Saveur feature - most deserved! :)

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  19. Congratulations! I am so excited for you. Years of labour that finally pays. So worth it. I wish you many more years and to be featured again!!!

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  20. Photos are fabulous and congrats for featuring in Saveur..

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  21. Once again..congratulations on the Saveur interview! It was brilliant! On another note..a delicious note, this sauce looks and sounds wonderful. My BF adores quark via many visits to Europe and meals of Quark and boiled potatoes. He uses Greek Yogurt as a substitute - here. This is also a great sauce to use up my zucchini haul!!

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  22. Just Beautiful Rosa!!!

    Congrats Dear Rosa is absolutely well deserved you have featured in Saveur uou have always the most beautiful pictures and nice recipes:))
    huggs

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  23. A great versatile sauce and congrats on Saveur feature!

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  24. I still have about 7 or 8 medium sized zucchinis in the fridge, the remains from my garden. Making a dip seems the way to go!

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  25. Congrats Rosa! Your clicks are beautiful and you always share delicious recipes, you deserve it and I'm very happy for you :)

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  26. J'aime beaucoup les sauces au fromage blanc, mais je n'ai jamais incorporé des courgettes ! A tester dès demain avec les petites du frigo.
    Et félicitations pour le référencement, c'est amplement mérité !

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  27. I adore quark for it's unimaginable creaminess. Zucchini is a perfect way to sneak some veggies with all my gooey cheese.;)

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  28. So true about inspiration! You must grab it while you can :D

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  29. Congratulations on Saveur and well deserved, I'm just going head over there and read it.

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  30. Your photos are always lovely, Rosa. And congratulations on Saveur....going over to read it now.

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  31. Rosa, BIG congrats on the Saveur award. That is amazing news and very much deserved. I have never had Quark but now I am intrigued.

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  32. Superbe comme toujours ma belle Rosa!! Bon dimanche à toi XX

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  33. Congrats on Saveur! Very well deserved - your blog is so good. When I'm looking for inspiration, I often find sleeping on it really works - I'm convinced my subconscious solves whatever difficulty that stymies me. Nice recipe, love the shallow focus on the zucchini picture.

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  34. Congratulations on the Saveur feature Rosa!! I'm so happy for you, and you really deserve it. Your blog is one of the best ones around! Lovely post, beautiful photos and delicious recipe:)

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  35. quark is a really interesting cheese, and i love seeing it featured in recipes--that's so rare!

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  36. Una gran propuesta con sabor y muy bien elaborada,una verdadera exquisitez,abrazos hugs,hugs.

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  37. loved this post so much, and that sauce sounds wonderful! congratulations on Saveur, that is so awesome and very much deserved!

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  38. Congrats for the Saveur feature Rosa! I adore quark and this dip looks refreshing and perfect for parties and get-togethers! Love it!

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  39. Ta sauce me plait énormement. Je vais de ce pas lire ton interview. Bon début de semaine.

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  40. Congratulations, Rosa!
    Love Quark dip! This is a simple and delicious treat.

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  41. I loved everything of this post, the quote, the meaning of it.... the recipe and the photos, of course

    thank you for sharing
    Roberta

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  42. Back home in germany and a quark sauce would be really good - a simple but so nice recipe, Rosa. And congrats again on that great interview.
    Hugs, Sandy

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  43. Tu as l'art d'embellir les choses simples, Rosa.
    Bravo pour l'interview!

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  44. Congratulations Rosa !!
    A musch deserved honour, I love your site and it makes me so happy to see you shining up there.
    beautiful post and beautiful quotes, everything so well written. Lovely styling, beautiful pictures, and a great recipe.
    Kudos to you.

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  45. First time here and wants to know more about your culinary journey so, following you here... :)
    I would appreciate if you visit my space in your free time.
    Cheers!

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  46. Congratulations! And I'm not surprised as I love your website as well :)

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  47. Rosa - quark and zucchini = yum!

    And I really like what you said about inspiration. It really can be found in the most unexpected ways, especially if you stay open to it.

    And congrats Saveur! Well deserved.

    xo
    E

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  48. My Dearest Rosa,
    CONGRATULATIONS!!! So happy for you, no doubt you deserve this award! Beautiful quark dip, looks absolutely breath-taking!

    HUGS <3

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  49. mi piace tanto questa salsa, adatta ancora e belle giornate di fine estate!
    Baci Rosa

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  50. Congrats on Saveur and well deserved Rosa. Your blog is so unique and is one of the best!
    This cheese sauce sounds wonderful, and as always, your photos are stunning! Have a great day, bisous,
    Cheers
    Mamat

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  51. Congratulation, Rosa! Off to read your interview now!

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  52. Well deserved, Rosa! One of the nicest features ever!

    Big hugs!

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  53. It is so Well deserved Rosa! I love quark as it is such a versatile thing to have in the fridge. You can use for sweet as well as for savory. We do eat it for breakfast every morning but your sauce sounds and looks wonderful

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  54. Congrats, well deserved!!! The sauce looks fantastic!

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  55. What a delightful sauce! You never fail to capture the beauty of a simple yet well-crafted dish, Rosa. I like that you create texture with the creamy cheese. And many congratulations on the feature! So thrilled for you.

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  56. Your blog is an inspiration for me and specially your writing. The zucchini sauce is going in my wish list!

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  57. Well deserving feature on Saveur, Rosa! Congrats!!

    ps: Beautiful photos and styling, as always my dear friend! xo

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  58. So happy for you Roas!! Well deserved my friend your words, pictures and recipes inspire us all!!

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  59. I am so happy for you, Rosa!! A huge congrats on your well-deserved Saveur feature.

    This recipe looks wonderful, the perfect use for zucchini!

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  60. congratulations, dear rosa! keep doing the terrific job you're doing on your blog. xoxo

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  61. Congratulations on your Saveur feature!! I need to read your interview after this. Whoo hoo!

    I learned about quark from another European blogger. I'm not sure if we have it here, but it definitely sounds delicious and your zucchini sauce... oh looks so good with crackers! I can have that for lunch or snack!

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  62. SOOO happy for you, Rosa! You truly deserve it. Congratulations! The quark sauce sounds amazing.

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  63. What a lovely spread/sauce Rosa! And I love that you used tabasco in it too! Congratulations on the saveur article too!

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  64. Mmm, this sounds like a fancy version of tzatziki - which I love! I lke the crispbread pictured too - my kind of snack. Well done on the Saveur featuer!

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  65. Love how you've captured everything so well. WOW! Congratulations on being featured in Saveur. Very well deserved.

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  66. Again, Rosa, congratulations on the Best of... it is very much deserved. You inspire me!

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  67. I adore quark, yet I have never thought to embellish it! Even if you can't buy quark, it is very easy to make at home!

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