The Flavor of Summer

If there’s one herb that says “summer” to me, it’s Basil. I love to use it for cooking. On Saturday I went to the Bel Air Farmers’ Market. I found some beautiful Basil and gorgeously plump red tomatoes. Last night we ate some of the tomatoes sliced with basil and fresh mozzarella. Drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt and pepper, it melted in our your mouth! Now I’m going to use the rest of the Basil to make pesto!

Pesto is one of my favorite things to make in the summer. I plan on freezing some this year in ice cubes and then store in freezer bags. It’s easy to use pesto in place of tomato sauce on pizzas topped with tomatoes, mozzarella, and red onions, or mix with whole grain pasta with grilled chicken or shrimp. Here’s the recipe I use for Pesto:

2 loosely packed cups fresh basil leaves, stems discarded, rinsed, and dried

Salt to taste (I prefer sea salt)

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 Tablespoons pine nuts or walnuts, lightly toasted in a dry skillet (I use walnuts)

1/2 C. extra-virgin olive oil, or more

1. Combine the basil, salt, garlic, nuts, and about half of the oil in a food processor or blender.

2. Process, stopping to scrape down the sides of the container occasionally, and adding the rest of the oil gradually. Add additional oil if you prefer a thinner mixture

From Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything.

Do you have some favorite recipes featuring Basil?