CULINARY SMACKDOWN: SUMMERTIME VEGGIES AND THE LIVIN' IS EASY

Today's the day! Entries for the July 2010 Culinary Smackdown are due by midnight, and with any luck, I'll have my own (non-competing) entry up by then too.

I know we have some first-time entrants and readers. (Also, my dad, a surprisingly fervent supporter, has been telling friends and relatives about my blog, then asking me to email them links "and instructions.")

So let me 'splain how this Culinary Smackdown thing works. This is a monthly cooking/blogging contest, where the previous winner selects the next month's theme and serves as host and judge. This time around, that would be me. As winner of the June Culinary Smackdown: Picnic Basket hosted by the fabulous and talented La Diva of La Diva Cucina (you can find my winning entry here and La Diva's recap of all the fine June entries here), I chose as our July theme:

Summertime (Veggies) - and the Livin' Is Easy

 

You can find full details of this month's Smackdown in my announcement post here.

Participants will add a comment at the bottom of this post saying "I'm up" or include a link to their entry on their blog if they posted before the deadline. For my dad and other blog newbies, if you click on the name of a commenter who posts an "I'm up," it should take you either straight to their blog or to their profile, where you can click on their blog under "My Blogs" to find them. Please go visit all the contestants for some great ideas (and photos) that I'm confident will inspire you in your own kitchen with the bounty of summertime produce.

I'll go around to check out all the entries, then post a recap and announcement of this month's winner as soon as possible. The only prize for the Culinary Smackdown is bragging rights, including the opportunity to post the lovely badge below on your blog and serve as host, judge, and arbiter of the theme and deadline of next month's Culinary Smackdown.

To all you eager competitors: Please bear with me. It's been a little crazy in my day-job world lately (all good, just hectic), and I'm solo for this month's Smackdown due to Team Eggplant health issues.

To those of you who ran out of time, forgot, are considering entering next month, or might have entered but had other things befall you, know you're welcome anytime. Boxer and Dani, my heart goes out to you.

I'll leave you with a couple of photos of the goodies I hope to get to.

With my Florida friends especially in mind, I'll sign off tonight with this and hopes that everyone weathers whatever storm they're going through.