As summer comes Finally, heat and humid temperatures make basil go crazy. This year we grew ours from seed, and what started as small sprigs of fragrant-smelling leaves are now threatening to take over the entire pot of herbs. Here in North Carolina, the weather is ideal. And while I’m not going to be Isabella and her pot of basil on you, I will say that basil happens to be one of my favorite herbs in the world. I adore him. And I’ve found that the best way to keep basil tasty for a while is with pesto. If you can make a jar of pesto, you’ll have concentrated flavor and dozens of options.
So instead of a detailed recipe, I’m giving you five recipe boosters and some fun facts about basil.
Whatever pesto recipe you use, it is usually a combination of basil, oil, garlic, cheese (such as Romano or Parmesan), and salt and pepper to taste. I like Jamie Oliver’s recipe, but I use walnuts instead of pinoli (pine nuts) because they are much cheaper (I also follow his school of measurement; you know, my language is “a handful”).
Do you have your pesto? Good. Now you have no excuse. Here are five simple recipes.
Pour pesto over some chicken and bake.. I made this with frozen chicken from Costco with great results: Halfway through the cooking process, simply add a little pesto on top (about a teaspoon if you’re measuring) and put it back in to finish. The result is tasty and moist.
Tuna salad with pesto. Cold summer tuna salad is a staple in this house, but it gets boring come September. I like to add about two tablespoons of pesto to my regular mixture, add some tomatoes, and enjoy. Tuna and basil go surprisingly well together!
Spicy pasta sauce. I add about a quarter cup of pesto to my thawed spaghetti sauce recipe (I usually make a metric ton of junk and freeze it) and it really adds a delicious depth of flavor. And it’s especially nice toward the end of a large batch to mix things up a bit.
Pesto and cheese cookies. Spread a very thin layer on your crackers before placing on that perfect slice of cheese (mozzarella, provolone, asiago, goat cheese, cream cheese, or even Brie would work). I even like some smoked salmon on top for more flavor and texture contrast!
Baked Japanese eggplant. Another late summer favorite. I simply cut them in half and stack them on a baking sheet. I sprinkle a little balsamic vinegar, then add some pesto and top with Romano cheese. Then I bake at 370 until the cheese is golden brown. And that’s it! Heavenly.
Tasty snacks:
- Culinary basil is also known as Ocimum basilicum.
- It originated in India.
- Isabella, or the Basil Pot, originally appeared in the Decameron, a famous medieval Italian precursor to The Canterbury Tales. In the story, a woman’s lover is killed; she finds his body, takes his head and plants it in a basil pot. Her brothers discover it, they cut off her head and well, she dies of grief. As you do. He inspired poets such as Keats and painters such as William Holman Hunt.
- It is a supposed anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antifungal and antioxidant.
- Mosquitoes hate it
- There are many types of basil, including Thai basil and holy basil, which are used in religious ceremonies.
- Basil is widely used in Asian cuisine, especially Thai and Vietnamese.
