Authors in Bloom Blog Hop - Cabbage Salad with Blackberry Vinaigrette

I'm thrilled to join in the Authors in Bloom Blog Hop, which is being coordinated by Tiffany of A Cozy Reader's Corner Reviews. Tiffany is one of the Fool's Gold Varsity Cheerleaders, and I'm so happy that she invited me to participate in this fun blog hop.


Here's how it's going to work. The blog hop will run from April 9-April 18. Each participating author will share a recipe or a gardening tip and will give away a prize. I'm giving away a copy of ALREADY HOME, my 2011 women's fiction book. (My latest women's fiction novel is BAREFOOT SEASON, in stores now!) For a chance to win a signed copy of ALREADY HOME, join the Members Only section at www.susanmallery.com, then leave your email address in a comment here. Don't forget to leave your email address - that's how we'll be able to verify that you're a Member. This contest is open internationally.

April 19 update...

And the winner is....

jpart2121@aol.com - check your email for a message from my assistant! Congratulations!

You can also collect a brief phrase at each blog, the put them together for a chance to win the grand prize, a Kindle Fire or a NOOK - winner's choice! Here's my secret phrase...

Line 47: Odd to compare girls to flowers.

Recipe: Cabbage Salad with Blackberry Vinaigrette

• ½ head of cabbage, sliced thin or shredded
• 4 green onions, sliced thin
• 1 stalk of celery, sliced thin
• ¼ C walnut pieces
• ½ C blackberry vinaigrette (Recipe at BlackberryIsland.com/recipes.html)
• Variation: 1 C cooked turkey or chicken, chopped

Toss all ingredients. Makes 4-6 side salads or 2 main dish salads.

Honey-Wasabi Glazed Salmon or Honey-Mustard Glazed Salmon

My latest book, BAREFOOT SEASON, was released this week. BAREFOOT SEASON is set on Blackberry Island, Washington. As on all islands I’ve ever visited, seafood is a staple on Blackberry Island. I live in Seattle, so seafood is pretty big in my world, too.

One of the things I love about seafood is how fast it cooks. This honey-wasabi glazed salmon is a terrific weeknight meal for busy people. If you can’t find prepared wasabi sauce, or it’s too spicy for you, you can substitute your favorite mustard. From start to finish, it takes about half an hour to get dinner on the table. Tastes great with a light, summery white wine.

Be sure to visit www.blackberryisland.com to read Chapter 1 of BAREFOOT SEASON and to get some fabulous blackberry recipes! If you love salmon as much as I do, try the Blackberry Chipotle Sauce as a glaze for salmon. I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m thinking it will be incredible. It’s next on my list!

Recipe: Honey-Wasabi Glazed Salmon or Honey-Mustard Glazed Salmon

½ C honey
2 T prepared Wasabi sauce or spicy mustard
2T soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
½ t fresh ginger, minced
4 salmon fillets, ½ pound each

Preheat the oven to 375. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Warm the honey in the microwave for 10 second increments until it’s runny enough to stir in the other ingredients.

Place the salmon skin-side down on the aluminum foil. Spoon the glaze over the salmon pieces. Bake about 20 minutes, until fish flakes easily with a fork, brushing with glaze every five minutes.

Blackberry Chipotle Chicken Tacos and Other Blackberry Recipes

On March 27, my next book – BAREFOOT SEASON – will be released. BAREFOOT SEASON is the first book of my Blackberry Island series. Blackberry bushes are a good metaphor for the Blackberry Island stories. The Blackberry Island slogan is “Where Life Is Sweet” – and it is – but before you reach that sweetness, you might have to fight your way past a few thorns. That’s certainly true for my characters.

Michelle and Carly grew up on Blackberry Island, as close as sisters, but their friendship was destroyed by betrayal. As young adults, just as the women began to reconnect, they both fell deeply, desperately in love with the same man. He proposed to Carly, then seduced Michelle. As BAREFOOT SEASON

starts, Michelle returns to Blackberry Island for the first time since she betrayed her former friend. She has spent the past ten years serving in the Army, and she’s been battered physically and emotional by her last tour in Afghanistan. The women will have to fight their way past the thorns in their relationship to find the sweetness of friendship again – with the help of two terrific men and a dog who needs a second chance. (I do love a happy ending!)

Blackberries abound in the Seattle area. They’re considered a nuisance by some people because it’s hard to figure out what to do with the overabundance of fruit growing in your own back yard.

So you know I had to come up with some delicious blackberry recipes! You’ll find the actual recipes – including printable versions of them – at www.blackberryisland.com. While you’re there, read the first chapter of BAREFOOT SEASON, and put a note on your calendar for release day, March 27.

The blackberry recipes include:

• Blackberry Chipotle Sauce 
• Oven-Baked Pork Chops with Blackberry Chipotle Sauce 
• Blackberry Chipotle Chicken Tacos 
• Quick & Easy Blackberry Cobbler 
• Make-Ahead Berry French Toast Casserole 
• Blackberry Mousse Parfaits 
• The Bramble Fizz (alcoholic drink) 
• Blackberry Vinaigrette Cabbage Salad with Blackberry Vinaigrette 
• Cinnamon Pita Chips with Walnut-Blackberry Dip 
• Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Blackberry Relish 

Make-Ahead Berry French Toast Casserole

2012 is going to be a big year for me. In addition to putting out four brand new Fool’s Gold books plus one Fool’s Gold novella, I’m launching a new series set on fictional Blackberry Island, Washington. The first Blackberry Island novel will be BAREFOOT SEASON, which will be released on March 27. BAREFOOT SEASON is available for pre-order now. Here are a couple of places where you can pre-order it: Barefoot Season from Amazon | Barefoot Season from Barnes & Noble.

As we speak, my webmaster is hard at work on www.blackberryisland.com. The website will have a free excerpt of the book, the bookclub discussion guide, a map of the island, pictures, a little history of the island, and lots of delicious, original blackberry recipes. (You don’t want to miss my Blackberry Chipotle Sauce, which is shockingly delicious.)

I decided to use Christmas as an excuse to come up with one more delicious blackberry recipe, though this time I mixed it up a bit with other berries, as well. I prepared the casserole on Christmas Eve and put it in the fridge. On Christmas morning, I popped it in the oven, and it cooked while we had a relaxing cup of coffee and opened presents. I thought about waiting to share it but then realized that you might like to have the recipe for a late brunch on New Year’s Day.

You'll find a printable version of this recipe at SusanMallery.com/recipes.php.

Recipe: Make-Ahead Berry French Toast Casserole

1 loaf of French bread
8 eggs
1 C buttermilk
½ t cinnamon
1 T sugar
¼ t salt
1 3-oz package of cream cheese
1 16-oz bag of mixed berries, divided
½ C corn syrup

Cut the French bread into 1-inch chunks and place in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs through salt. Pour over the French bread and toss to coat thoroughly. Spray a 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray. Add half of the bread. Dot with half of the cream cheese and a quarter-cup of berries. Add the remaining bread and dot with the remaining cream cheese and a quarter-cup of berries. Refrigerate overnight.

Put the remaining berries and juices in a heavy-bottomed sauce pan with the corn syrup. Heat to a simmer, stirring constantly. Continue to simmer until the mixture is thickened. I did this the night before as well, so it only had to be warmed up in the morning.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the casserole for about 30 minutes, until browned on the top and firm in the center. Serve with syrup.