Tag Archives: basil

presto…pesto!

22 Saturday Sep 2012

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If you like basil you’ll love pesto! This is a highly concentrated sauce that can be added to many dishes for  burst of flavor. I often add pesto to homemade pasta, salmon and on my poached eggs. Although traditionally, pesto is made from basil leaves, I’ve also seen pesto at the farmers markets, made from cilantro, arugula and dandelion leaves.

Pesto

1 cup fresh basil leaves

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons pine nuts

3 tablespoons grated pecorino romano cheese

2 tablespoon Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Put basil and salt into a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process briefly, then add garlic, pine nuts and both cheeses. With the machine still running, pour in the oil in a thin, steady stream and process until well incorporated.

Serve pesto over hot, cooked pasta or salmon and serve! Enjoy!

 

 

 

tomato, basil & bocconcini salad

13 Friday Jul 2012

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Summer is here and with it, fresh tomatoes and basil! My basil is flourishing in the greenhouse but I am relying on the Farmers Market and organic grocery stories to find the early fruit. I recommend using your highest quality extra virgin olive oil and sea salt flakes (i.e. Malden’s). A taste of juicy summer in every bite!

Tomato, Basil and Bocconcini Salad

This is a ‘rough’ recipe as the size of your salad will depend on how many people you are serving or how many fresh ripe tomatoes you bought at the farmers market.

3 medium-large ripe tomatoes

bocconcini, sliced (Note: I accidentally bought ‘cocktail balls’ of bocconcini but they worked just as well sliced in half)

fresh basil

extra-virgin olive oil

balsamic vinegar (just a sprinkling)

seal salt flakes and freshly ground pepper

Slice your tomatoes and bocconcini. Separate the basil into individual leaves. (You can coarsely chop these if your basil leaves are very large.) On a serving platter, begin laying the tomato slices and top each with a bocconcini slice. You’ll often see this salad arranged in a circle but play around and have fun with the design. This time around, I used a very long bread plate and arranged them in a long line.

Drizzle the tomatoes and cheese with olive oil and sprinkle with balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve. Enjoy every bite and keep in mind that this salad will never be this flavorful in the winter with store-bought fruit!

 

quinoa with zucchini and basil

22 Tuesday May 2012

Posted by in cook, whole grains

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Another great recipe from Lorna Sass’s Whole Grains cookbook. I adapted it by omitting the anchovies (as I had run out) and using zucchini instead of yellow summer squash. Lorna mentions that instead of quinoa, you might also try using farro, kamut or coarse bulgur.

Quinoa with Zucchini and Basil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons mashed oil-packed anchovies

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 pound (3 medium) zucchini or yellow summer squash, coarsely grated

3 cups cooked quinoa

salt, to taste

1/4 cup (tightly packed) fresh basil, chopped

Mix the anchovies and balsamic vinegar in a small bowl.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring frequently, until the squash is tender, about 4 minutes.

Add the quinoa, the remaining tablespoon of oil, salt (to taste) and the basil. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

herb & cheese bread

12 Wednesday Oct 2011

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Enjoy the last of your summer herbs in this scrumptious cheesy bread. Excellent served with soup, or made into giant croutons for salads, or enjoyed as a baguette in a hearty sandwich.

Herb & Cheese Bread

1 package (or 1 tablespoon) active dry yeast

1 cup warm water

3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

¼ cup mixed fresh herbs, such as basil, chives, thyme and tarragon.

¾ cup coarsely grated cheese, such as Asiago, Gruyere or fontina

cornmeal

1 large egg beaten together with 1 tablespoon water

Place yeast and water in a large bowl. Allow to sit for about 10 minutes, or until bubbly. Add salt, pepper, olive oil, herbs and cheese and mix thoroughly. Add flour, a cup at a time. Depending on the humidity, more or less flour may be needed.

Transfer dough to a floured surface and knead to about 10 minutes, or until the dough is satiny and smooth. Place dough in a large clean bowl that has been oiled. Cover with a damp towel and let the dough rise in a warm spot for about an hour and a half.

Punch down dough and shape into loaves or rolls. Place on greased pan that has been lightly sprinkled with cornmeal. Place in warm spot and let dough rise for another hour, or until doubled.

Carefully paint top of loaves with egg wash and bake in lower rack in oven for 25 minutes or until loaves are golden brown. Place loaves on cooling rack and wait until fully cool before slicing.

Enjoy!