Herb-a-licious!
Basil, Basilica, Basilico,Basilic, Basilikum, Bazalka, Alfabrega...however you say it in whatever language you choose--it's still one of my all-time favorite herbs!! I love to grow it myself so I can just pop into the back yard anytime and pick some fresh and use it in my cooking. Right now, I have 3 different kinds of basil growing....Italian, Greek, and Thai....and I love them all!
One of my favorite salads is a quick one that I put together one night when I was in need of food for company and my supplies were limited. It has become a favorite---my husband would eat it every night if I'd make it :)
Tomato-Bread Salad Recipe:
2 Schar Classic White rolls
2 large tomatoes, chopped (or cherry tomatoes)
1 6 oz container crumbled Feta cheese
10 fresh basil leaves, rolled and sliced
Olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat the oven to 425. Cube the rolls and put into a baking dish. Top with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder. Bake about 10 minutes or until crusty, like croutons. In a large bowl, place tomatoes, cheese and basil. Just before serving, add croutons and cover with about 1/4 cup olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste and toss to serve. Serves 2 as a dinner or 4 as a side.
Now, my very favorite thing to do with basil is to make pesto! I was never much of a fan of pesto and I realized it was because I was always served it out of a jar and that's just no good! So, I started experimenting with making my own and absolutely fell in love!!!! I could just sit and eat this stuff with a spoon and completely skip putting it on pasta. In fact, one of my favorite snacks with the leftover pesto is to just dig into it with GF pretzel sticks---can you say YUM?
Basil Pesto Recipe:
2 packed cups of fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup each of: olive oil, parmesan cheese, and pine nuts
1 tsp garlic, minced
Place all ingredients in a Vitamix blender and blend until smooth. Serve over hot pasta or as an accompaniment for dippers.
Don't be afraid to experiment with basil!! When I make pesto, I like to blend different types of basil and see what wonderful flavor combos I can create :)
Now the next recipe is going to cause you to raise an eyebrow....or maybe two. I got a wild hair one day and decided that I wanted to try making a basil ice cream. I know, I know, who does that??? But, I reasoned, how could I go wrong by combining 2 of my favorite foods? And, it turned out that I was completely correct! I don't think that I would want this every time I want ice cream, but it is so refreshing and such a unique flavor that I think it makes a perfect palate cleanser or nice ending to a light summer bar-be-que.
Basil Ice Cream Recipe:
10 large fresh basil leaves
1 cup half and half
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
Put the half and half and the basil leaves in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat immediately and place in a blender; blend until smooth. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs 2-3 minutes, or until fluffy. Add sugar and beat 2-3 minutes more, until sugar is completely dissolved. Add cream and mix thoroughly. Slowly drizzle basil liquid into mix and blend until smooth. Chill 2 hours before freezing in your ice cream freezer. Makes 1 quart.
So, there it is...3 yummy ways to use basil. Of course, there are about a million more, but this should get you started. Happy Herbing!!
One of my favorite salads is a quick one that I put together one night when I was in need of food for company and my supplies were limited. It has become a favorite---my husband would eat it every night if I'd make it :)
2 Schar Classic White rolls
2 large tomatoes, chopped (or cherry tomatoes)
1 6 oz container crumbled Feta cheese
10 fresh basil leaves, rolled and sliced
Olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat the oven to 425. Cube the rolls and put into a baking dish. Top with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder. Bake about 10 minutes or until crusty, like croutons. In a large bowl, place tomatoes, cheese and basil. Just before serving, add croutons and cover with about 1/4 cup olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste and toss to serve. Serves 2 as a dinner or 4 as a side.
Now, my very favorite thing to do with basil is to make pesto! I was never much of a fan of pesto and I realized it was because I was always served it out of a jar and that's just no good! So, I started experimenting with making my own and absolutely fell in love!!!! I could just sit and eat this stuff with a spoon and completely skip putting it on pasta. In fact, one of my favorite snacks with the leftover pesto is to just dig into it with GF pretzel sticks---can you say YUM?
Basil Pesto Recipe:
2 packed cups of fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup each of: olive oil, parmesan cheese, and pine nuts
1 tsp garlic, minced
Place all ingredients in a Vitamix blender and blend until smooth. Serve over hot pasta or as an accompaniment for dippers.
Don't be afraid to experiment with basil!! When I make pesto, I like to blend different types of basil and see what wonderful flavor combos I can create :)
Now the next recipe is going to cause you to raise an eyebrow....or maybe two. I got a wild hair one day and decided that I wanted to try making a basil ice cream. I know, I know, who does that??? But, I reasoned, how could I go wrong by combining 2 of my favorite foods? And, it turned out that I was completely correct! I don't think that I would want this every time I want ice cream, but it is so refreshing and such a unique flavor that I think it makes a perfect palate cleanser or nice ending to a light summer bar-be-que.
Basil Ice Cream Recipe:
10 large fresh basil leaves
1 cup half and half
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
Put the half and half and the basil leaves in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat immediately and place in a blender; blend until smooth. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs 2-3 minutes, or until fluffy. Add sugar and beat 2-3 minutes more, until sugar is completely dissolved. Add cream and mix thoroughly. Slowly drizzle basil liquid into mix and blend until smooth. Chill 2 hours before freezing in your ice cream freezer. Makes 1 quart.
So, there it is...3 yummy ways to use basil. Of course, there are about a million more, but this should get you started. Happy Herbing!!
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