Ingredient of the week thread - Feedback wanted!

Curry Addict

herbs and maybe spices could be a good addition imho

Darkginger

I'm still very interested in this - was hoping the OP would come back and take charge, and certainly don't want to step on any toes, but it would be good to get started. Can I propose we kick off with berries, since the hedges are currently heavy with blackberries, but they won't last more than a couple of weeks. Still loads of Irish raspberries, strawberries and blueberries in the shops, too. If people are in agreement, we could even get going today, as it's a Monday - what say you?

Qualitymark

Darkginger wrote: »

I'm still very interested in this - was hoping the OP would come back and take charge, and certainly don't want to step on any toes, but it would be good to get started. Can I propose we kick off with berries, since the hedges are currently heavy with blackberries, but they won't last more than a couple of weeks. Still loads of Irish raspberries, strawberries and blueberries in the shops, too. If people are in agreement, we could even get going today, as it's a Monday - what say you?

Mmmm. Read recently that people used to dry fraughans and use them like raisins.

Blackberry and apple crumble, yum, any good recipes?

i've also got a surplus of pears - what about some chutney recipes?

The Hill Billy

Darkginger - away you go! Thread started here.

tHB

Darkginger

Many thanks, off to..erm..look at it, I suppose (not having a recipe to hand!) now.

The Hill Billy

That's a great start to the IOTW thread. Please don't forget to provide suggestions for more ingredients. I would also appreciate it if someone would 'seasonalise' the list in my post above.

When this is done I will put together the IOTW Schedule.

tHB

EZ24GET

...'Surprise' you each Monday with the next IOTW thread

Maybe a section on convenience foods? Canned, boxed - that sort of thing. I've often had to take a look in the cupboard to find dinner. You know the night you planned to have that dab of left over tuna salad and a couple of cookies, putting off the trip to the grocery until tomorrow and someone shows up at the door that needs to be fed and all you can find is a can of roast beef hash and a can of peaches. Or maybe a rice mix? Recipes that begin: start with a box of macaroni cheese... Or maybe that's a theme for a different thread. Might be called "Cooking by the seat of your pants" just an idea

The Hill Billy

It is nearly Monday & time for IOTW Week 2. If I get no response to my earlier post I'll just go ahead with a random ingredient on Monday.

tHB

Darkginger

There's already a question about courgettes on the forum, and I know many people will have veggie gardens overflowing with them and other squashes - perhaps that would be good for next week? I'm working on 'seasonalising' the list, will see what I can come up with. September's also the first post-summer month with an 'r' in it - so oysters and other seafood would be an alternative option! Feel free to ignore me though, it wasn't my intention to take over this thread

The Hill Billy

Thanks Darkginger - far from ignoring you, this is exactly the postet input that we need for this thread. Many, many thanks!

tHB

EZ24GET

...'Surprise' you each Monday with the next IOTW thread

so Monday brings courgettes (zucchini) ? So would include all squashes? I am in the US so don't know when things would be in season there exactly. But zucchini is plentiful now.

The Hill Billy

The thread is just for courgette/zucchini. It is up now.

Tayla

I am delighted this took off! I was unable to get online for a couple of weeks and then I forgot all about it

Darkginger

It's that time of week again! If you're looking for suggestions for next week's ingredient, could I suggest seafood? Mussels, oysters, razor clams, squid, crab, scallops, - all good at this time of year, plus it gets us away from garden/hedgerow produce for a week Alternatively, goose and game birds are good now, and we're coming into the fungi season, though that's always a dodgy one once you get away from plain white supermarket mushrooms!

Faith

Ones I'd personally like to see, because I love the ingredients and would love more recipes for them: Quail, venison, prawns, lamb.

Qualitymark

I'd love to see this vary between 'normal' ingredients - beef, cabbage, potatoes, carrots - and occasionally more abstruse foods such as quinoa, kasha, pak choi and so on - with occasional forays as well into general terms: sponge cake, scones, etc.

The Hill Billy

Thanks for the suggestions for Week 3. I'll give it some thought tonight (for the rest of the year also) & post up the IOTW 3 tomorrow morning.

tHB

The Hill Billy

Sorry folks, I've been on planes, trains, automobiles & buses most of today & haven't had time to think about this week's thread. If anyone has any suggestions for IOTW 4 pop them up here & I'll make a call on it later this evening.

Ta,

tHB

GastroBoy

...'Surprise' you each Monday with the next IOTW thread

The Hill Billy wrote: »

Sorry folks, I've been on planes, trains, automobiles & buses most of today & haven't had time to think about this week's thread. If anyone has any suggestions for IOTW 4 pop them up here & I'll make a call on it later this evening.

Ta,

tHB

Lots of squash at the markets these days, so perhaps ingredients based on pumpkin and butternut squash etc....
Just an idea.

The Hill Billy

Hi All:

I've put together the list of ingredients for the weekly IOTW threads from now until Christmas Eve.

You have the option of me publishing the list now, or keeping it a secret & 'surprising' you each Monday with a new ingredient.

Please use the poll that I've added to the thread to let me know what way you want to play it.

Take care,

tHB

Darkginger

Many thanks, THB - I've been travelling myself (my Dad fell and broke his hip, so am now in the UK) hence my recent absence. Glad to see we're still doing this!

The Hill Billy

Hi All:

I thought that I'd bring up this original thread about the Ingredient of the Week again to get some feedback.

The past few weeks seems to be getting a pretty limited response. This could be due to a number of factors - the ingredients posted are not liked by many, posters are no longer interested in the concept of the IotW threads, something else...

Anyway, if you'd care to share your thoughts on this I'd appreciate it...
Do you think it worthwhile in keeping this going in 2013?
If so, are there any changes that you care to suggest to get more poster participation?
What ingredients would you like to see included?
Anything alse...?

(I'll sticky this for a week to see if we can get as much feedback as possible.)

Ta,

tHB

Dizzyblonde

...'Surprise' you each Monday with the next IOTW thread

Hi tHB, I've found that in the past few weeks I either haven't had many recipes for the ingredients of the week, or else they've been ingredients I wouldn't normally use. I've still enjoyed reading the other posters' recipes though. I think IOTW has been great, I've gotten lots of new recipes out of it.

With regard to keeping it up for 2013, I'm not so sure there are enough possible ingredients to sustain it (though maybe that's because I'm not a very adventurous cook!).

Faith

I think it was a great idea originally, but I think it's a lot of work for us mods to maintain it for not a lot of pay-off. Whilst I've enjoyed it, I'm not sure it's worth continuing with, unless it's user driven.

Qualitymark

Maybe announce this week's ingredient every week on this thread?

The Hill Billy

I can't see how that would help to be honest. The new thread is started each Monday & is usually on the front page of the forum for a week.

Qualitymark

The Hill Billy wrote: »

I can't see how that would help to be honest. The new thread is started each Monday & is usually on the front page of the forum for a week.

I wouldn't say I'm unusual in not going to the front page of the forum very much. I tend to read the few threads I'm following at the time. But it's up to yourself. If I hear about an interesting ingredient thread (here, for instance), I'm likely to click into it and perhaps comment. But if that's too much trouble, no bother.

(But if it's at the front page of the forum for the week, surely that proves it's going well?)

The Hill Billy

Each week's threads are linked from the IotW sticky for all to see. No need for them to be linked twice really & stickies are the preferred way to maintain long-running threads/activities in a forum.

The Black Oil

I didn't really look at the concept when it first arose, so I haven't really followed the threads. Could the time of year have something to do with the lack of interest, and maybe this applies to tCC as well. Instead of a weekly thing, how about monthly? Guess that could equally result in less interest, though.

Minder

I like the informality of the Iotw thread, the randomness of it and the fact that it's not limited to a single post per person. Also recipes can be posted from anywhere, copied from the internet with links etc without the need for step by step photos.