Haven’t given much love to sardines as of late (that is, no sardine recipes for fellow sardine lovers in a while). While I love sardines and all small, oily fish for that matter, Wild Greens and Sardines is as much literal — a philosophy of eating — as it is figurative.

Prior to creating this blog, a few trips to the Greek Island of Crete had a profound influence on my way of eating — simple food, albeit prepared with the freshest of ingredients. This evolved into a deep respect for the Mediterranean way of eating — close to the land and the sea. That being said, it’s not so much about eating foods we often associate with the Mediterranean (though, who could live without extra virgin olive oil, wine, cheese, etc.?), but rather adopting a philosophy of simple and fresh cooking, seeking out foods grown and raised in a caring and compassionate way, wherever you happen to live.

Moving on, I was perusing my site, over 10 years old with 458 459 published posts, and thought, why not do a round-up of sardine recipes, give a little love to the humble sardine. Perhaps, provide some inspiration on how to incorporate sardines into your cooking repertoire, but also to seek advice on how you like to cook/prepare sardines (or other small, oily fishes).

So…what do you like to do with sardines (fresh or canned)? Fellow sardines lovers, I look forward to hearing from you.

P.S. On those rare occasions when I find fresh sardines, my favorite way is to grill them and finish with a squeeze of lemon, a dash of coarse sea salt, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Simple yet perfect.

Here’s a handful of sardines recipes from the blog (click on the photos and/or titles below and it will take you to the recipes).

Pasta con le Sarde

Roasted Sardines and Cherry Tomatoes

Salad with Tarragon Dressing and Sardines

Polpette di Sarde (Sardine Balls) in Spicy Tomato Sauce

Pane Cunzatu 

Swap out the anchovies for sardines.

Baked Sardines with Fennel and Breadcrumbs

Avocado Toast with Sardines and Chile Oil

I like the small sardines on toast.

Sardine Pâté

This one never made it onto the blog. I happened to like it, but thought it might be too strange??

Onigiri with Furikake and Sardines

Although the version in the link is with hot smoked salmon, I’ve also done onigiri with canned sardines.