June 4 was the 10th anniversary of Andrea’s Garden Cooking. Wow!

Here are some stats that have blown me away – my simple blog has been viewed by 147,000 people in over 150 countries!

It really is mind boggling. What began as a means to share ways to use the vegetables I grew in my garden or bought from local farmers, developed to add challenges by farmers to use what they brought me, followed me on various bread projects and my ever deepening dive into Persian cooking, and has led to my writing not one, but TWO cookbooks (Persian Cooking in an American Kitchen and When Kugel Met Tahdig, which is being edited now).

To honor this anniversary, I have gone back to look at some of those early posts. There were some that were definitely based upon what was growing in my garden at the time; often they were things I had not grown before, so I was learning how to use them. Some that stand out to me were Butternut Squash Lasagna, Mediterranean Swiss Chard Pilaf, and Spinach and Corn Enchilada Casserole.

There was the Patty Pan Squash Challenge – posed to me by a local farmer who dropped off a bunch of patty pan squash and said “let’s see what you can do with these.” I had never seen patty pan squash before. This recipe has gone on to be one of the more read posts on the blog.

Some of the recipes have become family classics, like Never Say Never Again Lima Beans, Fava Beans and Pasta, and Pan-Seared Cauliflower and Spaghetti.

There were long-time favorites, like Big Blues and Carrot Salad Pita Sandwiches.

And, of course, there was my first recipe for Khoresh Bademjun – Persian Eggplant Stew. This has evolved into a roasted eggplant version, but this original is still delicious. A lamb version of this recipe was include in the Monday Morning Cooking Clubs Cookbook It’s All About the Food.

I will be revisiting some of these early dishes over the next couple of months. I am excited, it is like visiting old friends.

There are over 740 posts to choose from, another shocking number. I can’t predict how much longer I will do the blog, but I guess, for now, as long as you keep reading, I’ll keep writing.