Basil Anyone?

Ok, so maybe my intense love for Basil is a little overboard but I gotta tell ya, this winter when I pull homemade pesto from the freezer I won't be sorry!

This morning the temperatures in San Antonio were PERFECT for the first BIG harvest of Basil. I've been picking it all summer and even giving quite a bit away to friends but it's time to get some of this wonderful "green-ness" into the freezer and drying for winter use. Below are a couple of pictures BEFORE I went at it with the scissors.

 

And here it is afterwards

 

And here is how much I picked!

Ok, so what to do with all of this stuff? Here are a couple of recipes.

Basil Infused Olive Oil

servings: 2 cups

ingredients

4 cups of packed basil leaves

2 cups of virgin olive oil (the flavors of extra-virgin olive oil will compete too much)

preparation

Combine basil and olive oil in a blender.

Puree the mixture until smooth.

In a saucepan, simmer the olive oil and basil puree over medium heat for 45 seconds.

Pour the heated mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl to remove the basil.

Let the mixture sit for a few hours.

Pour the oil into an airtight jar. (don't include the dark liquid at the bottom of the bowl, which is water mixed with finely ground basil)

Use oil as a marinade, condiment, or substitute for herbs when cooking.

From "Best Life" Magazine, June/July 2008.





Fresh Basil Pesto Recipe

Prep time: 10 minutes

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INGREDIENTS

2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts

3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Special equipment needed: A food processor (Check Amazon.com's sales on Cuisinart food processors)

METHOD

1 Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.

2 Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Serve with pasta, or over baked potatoes, or spread over toasted baguette slices.

Yield: Makes 1 cup.

Enjoy!

 

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