Basil
Basil is the leafy goodness of the gods. It’s hands down my favorite herb. I love to slice the fresh leaves into salad and I love to rub the dried yumminess onto a beer can chicken. I will sometimes just snack on fresh leaves as is. Makes my breath all basily fresh! Last summer I grew about 20 basil plants in my garden, but I still found myself buying basil at the farmers market!
At the peak of summer, when it’s just to hot to cook (and yes, we have had a couple of those days this summer) my favorite cold dinner is a lightly salted tomato slices topped with a whole basil leaf, a thin slice of goat cheese and a drizzling of olive oil. I also keep a hunk of crusty bread on hand for soaking up all the juices. Maybe pair that with a robust white wine or a chilled local brew and you’ve got a meal to be envied.
But the undeniable staple that I have to have on hand at all times is pesto. I love to toss it on pasta or spread it on pizza, like any good basil-loving gal. But I also love to mix it up with cooked red potatoes, some diced fresh tomatoes and some of Highland Garden’s smoked chicken. Or spread it on the bread when I make a roast beef sandwich. I always mean to freeze some for winter, but it never quite makes it there... I’ve included my feta pesto recipe here today. This is a great starting point, but feel free to mess around with it. Use different nuts (fattier nuts will make a smoother pesto), roast the garlic first, try it with a chevre or your other favorite cheese. Enjoy!
Feta Pesto
3/4 lb basil
4 medium large cloves of garlic (1.5 oz)
7 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 cup nuts (5 oz)
2 2.5 oz blocks of feta, crumbled
1 1/2 tsp salt
1) Wash the basil, remove the leaves and discard the stems. Peel the garlic a chop each clove into a few pieces.
2) Add the basil, garlic, olive oil, nuts, feta and salt to a food processor* and blend until smooth. Enjoy!
* You can also make this in a bowl with an immersion blender, keeping in mind that the texture will be a little rougher
At the peak of summer, when it’s just to hot to cook (and yes, we have had a couple of those days this summer) my favorite cold dinner is a lightly salted tomato slices topped with a whole basil leaf, a thin slice of goat cheese and a drizzling of olive oil. I also keep a hunk of crusty bread on hand for soaking up all the juices. Maybe pair that with a robust white wine or a chilled local brew and you’ve got a meal to be envied.
But the undeniable staple that I have to have on hand at all times is pesto. I love to toss it on pasta or spread it on pizza, like any good basil-loving gal. But I also love to mix it up with cooked red potatoes, some diced fresh tomatoes and some of Highland Garden’s smoked chicken. Or spread it on the bread when I make a roast beef sandwich. I always mean to freeze some for winter, but it never quite makes it there... I’ve included my feta pesto recipe here today. This is a great starting point, but feel free to mess around with it. Use different nuts (fattier nuts will make a smoother pesto), roast the garlic first, try it with a chevre or your other favorite cheese. Enjoy!
Feta Pesto
3/4 lb basil
4 medium large cloves of garlic (1.5 oz)
7 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 cup nuts (5 oz)
2 2.5 oz blocks of feta, crumbled
1 1/2 tsp salt
1) Wash the basil, remove the leaves and discard the stems. Peel the garlic a chop each clove into a few pieces.
2) Add the basil, garlic, olive oil, nuts, feta and salt to a food processor* and blend until smooth. Enjoy!
* You can also make this in a bowl with an immersion blender, keeping in mind that the texture will be a little rougher
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