Wow.

That’s really all I can think of to say.

My sweet co-hostess Lis and I are amazed at the number of entries we received but even moreso at the beauty of the dishes that you brought to the blog world’s biggest patio party.

From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you.

There were so many entries that Lis and I decided to split them. To see the other half of the round-up, please visit La Mia Cucina.\

Sauteed Pineapple and Prune-Plums with Sweetened Macarpone from Lis of La Mia Cucina.

I begin the round-up with my co-hostess, Lis. She is a true light in my life and I’m honoured every day that I know her. She knows how much I love pineapple and made this dessert just for me. Okay, okay! Fine. I’ll share it with you!

Grazie, Lis!

Coconut, Almond and Plum Tart from Rose of 64 Sq Ft Kitchen.

The lovely Rose was one of the first to arrive at the party with this delicious tart. I don’t know about you, but I would gladly move into Rose’s kitchen just to watch her produce her sweet creations.

Grazie, Rose!

Summer Borscht from Alanna of A Veggie Venture.

Secretly, I have harboured an intense love of borscht my whole life. I’m not sure from whence it came, but Alanna’s beautiful summer rendition of this classic has only made my love stronger. And of course it’s only made me admire Alanna even more for her vibrant, healthful dishes.

Grazie, Alanna!

Roasted Carrot and Ginger Soup from Marie of A Year at Oak Cottage.

Marie so kindly brought one of the prettiest soups that I’ve ever seen. The colours alone make me want to jump right in. Marie, now that you’ve come to our patio party, we simply must come to Oak Cottage!

Grazie, Marie!

Garden Peach Margarita Sorbet from Kevin of Acme Instant Food.

That Kevin! He’s such a riot! And let’s not forget how creative and original he is as in this incredible sorbet that he created himself. I had to fight Lis over it but it was totally worth it.

Grazie, Kevin!

Canned Peaches and Pairs and Homemade Ketchup from Quellia of All Things Edible.

I had the honour of meeting Quellia in person early in the summer. She surprised me with some truly delicious homemade preserves (strawberry and rhubarb!). We were thrilled when she arrived at the party with more preserves. Quellia, you’re a talent in the kitchen!

Grazie, Quellia!

Upside Down Polenta Cake from Mary of Alpineberry.

What can I say about Mary? Not only is she the tireless administrator for the Daring Bakers, Mary is truly a gifted cook and baker. I’m so happy that she came to the festa and that she brought this unusual and delicious cake.

Grazie, Mary!

Cantaloupe Strawberry Salad with Mint and Lime Syrup from Andrea of Andrea’s Recipes.

Have you visited Andrea’s blog? If you haven’t, you should. It’s beautiful and has some truly mouth-watering pictures. For me, this has been the summer of great fruit so I was so happy to see that Andrea brought this colourful salad to the party.

Grazie, Andrea!

Maggie Glezer’s Acme Herb Slats from Baking Soda of Bake My Day.

I love Baking Soda! A brilliant bread baker, a brilliant sense of humour and just a brilliant person all around. Thank you for coming to the festa and for bringing this delicious bread with you.

Grazie, Baking Soda!

Vietnamese Coffee Gelato with Toblerone Chunks and Sesame Seed Tuile Mini Cones from Bruno of Brunosdream.

Bruno is a busy guy and yet he still found time to prepare this unbelievable dessert for us. Bruno, you definitely get the award for most original and inventive dish at the party!

Grazie, Bruno!

Pasta with Green Beans and Fried Peppers from Lisa of Champaign Taste.

When I smelled the dish that Lisa brought, my mouth immediately began to water. Fried peppers are my very favourite and I could eat them with anything. The fact that they’re paired with fresh green beans and pasta only makes them that much better. Lisa, you are always welcome at our patio!

Grazie, Lisa!

Puttanesca Tomatoes from Nicisme of Cherrapeno.

The name is hot. The dish is hot. Nicisme, you’re hot! Thanks for bringing your hotness and the hotness of this dish to spice up la festa.

Grazie, Nicisme!

Zucchini Carpaccio; Portabella Stroganoff and Belgium Endive Salad with Roquefort Cheese from Denise et Laudalino of Chez Denise et Laudalino.

Some people just know how to be the perfect party guests. Take Denise et Laudalino, they brought three dishes to the party! And the dishes were one more delicious than the other.

Grazie, Denise et Laudalino!

White Chocolate and Passion Fruit Mousse from Kelly-Jane of Cooking the Books.

Thanks to Kelly-Jane, I tried passion fruit in a dessert for the very first time and adored it. Of course the white chocolate helped. What a gorgeous summer dessert!

Grazie, Kelly-Jane!

Gulliver’s Salad and Roasted Eggplant Stuffed with Free Range Beef and Seasonal Veggies from Lindsay of Country.Girl.City.Living.

I’ll eat eggplant until the cows come home so I couldn’t resist second helpings of this lovely dish. It was great to be introduced to a new salad as well. Thanks so much for these great dishes!

Grazie, Lindsay

Dried Cherry Challah Bread Pudding from Peabody of Culinary Concoctions by Peabody.

Peabody could concoct just about anything and I would eat it. Seriously. I’m so glad you made it to the festa, Peabody. Not only did I get to eat this incredible pudding but I got to moan about the Leafs. Thanks for listening!

Grazie, Peabody!

Lemon Verbena Ice Cream and Vanilla Bean and Verbena Lemon Parfait with Summer Raspberries from Anita of Dessert First.

When I want to be calmed by the sweetness of dessert, I visit Anita. And when she arrived at the party bearing these gifts, I felt the calmness wash over me. Anita is a constant reminder of the true sweetness of life.

Grazie, Anita!

Swiss Chard Frittata from Laura of Eat Drink Live.

Swiss chard … my favourite! Very smart to pair it with a frittata, Laura. I see I’m going to have to help myself to your dish quickly otherwise it will be all gone!

Grazie, Laura!

Lemon Basil Courgettes from Abby of Eat the Right Stuff.

I love your blog, Abby! I. Love. Your. Blog. And I love you for bringing this gorgeous dish to the party. Oh yes … and I love the word courgettes!

Grazie, Abby!

‘Mater and Cuke Salad from Elle of Feeding My Enthusiasms.

Such a refreshing salad! What can I say Elle other than thank you for coming? Thank you for bringing a salad that features two of my very favourite summer vegetables. Thank you for being so sweet!

Grazie, Elle!

Sauteed Vegetable and Scallop Pasta from Morven of Food Art and Random Thoughts.

Morven knows how much I love scallops. And she brought this pasta just for me! Oh, wait … was I supposed to share with the others? Oops!

Grazie, Morven!

Zesty Spinach and Feta Pull-Apart Bread from Anh of Food Lover’s Journey.

I never imagined that food could drive a wedge between Lis and myself but this bread most certainly did. We apologize to everyone for that little tussle that Lis and I had as we both tried to grab the bread for ourselves. Good thing you brought along more than one, Anh!

Grazie, Anh!

Panfried Catfish al Fresco from Joel and Amy of Foodmonkeys.

First of all, Joel and Amy get the award for cutest couple at the festa! Secondly, I recently discovered catfish so I was so happy that someone came along with a dish featuring this ingredient.

Grazie, Joel and Amy!

Spaghetti with Mixed Shell Fish from Fresh Adriatic Fish of Fresh Adriatic Fish.

There were so many great pasta dishes at this party and this one is no exception. Fresh Adriatic Fish (cool name) wowed everyone with this contribution.

Grazie, Fresh Adriatic Fish!

Fig, Sweet Potato and Wild Rice Stuffing and Stir-fried Pork with Pattypan Squash and Garlic Scapes from Danielle of Habeas Brulee.

The generous Danielle brought two stunning dishes to the party. The first is a stuffing that I just about cried over! And the second was a stir-fried pork dish that also made me want to weep. Mainly because I had to share it. Next time, Danielle, bring a portion just for me!!!

Grazie, Danielle!

Roasted Eggplant Spread from Half Baked of Half-Baked.

Half Baked brought one of my most favourite appetizers ever: The Barefoot Contessa’s Eggplant spread. Half Baked, your take on this spread was incredible!

Grazie, Half Baked!

Home-made Lemonade from Arfi of Homemades.

Arfi reminded us that there is nothing better than something homemade, especially when it’s lemonade. The lemonade was such a gift!

Grazie, Arfi!

Zucchini with Goat Cheese; Zucchini and Prosciutto and Corn Soup the Second from Sara of i like to cook.

Wonderful Sara, bless her heart, brought three dishes to this party and wowed everyone with them. Sara reminded all of us what a blessing a home garden truly is.

Grazie, Sara!

Fried Fennel from Ed of Is it Edible?

Ed, this fried fennel was most definitely edible!!! I loooooooooooove fennel and frying it was just the right touch!

Grazie, Ed!

So that’s it my friends! Another festa has come and gone. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for making it a truly memorable one. Don’t forget to visit Lis for the other part of the round-up. See you next year!

Ciao!

Technorati tag: la festa al fresco