Perfect Pesto

I'm so glad I chose Basil to be my first herb post, because since then I've been eating it up a storm! Here are is my favorite recipe (I usually use grams and kilos for my measurements since I'm in Italy, but you can find an easy converter here:

REAL Pesto Genovese! 

120gr basil leaves
-60 gr grated Parmigiano Reggiano
-60gr Pecorino romano (If you can't find real pecorino, substitute with 60gr more of Parmigiano)
-60 gr pine nuts
-225g EVOO
-1 garlic clove (more if you like it a little more garlicky)
-Sale to taste

Rinse and dry the basil leaves. Place all ingredients except the oil and salt in a food processor and pulse until well ground. Then add the oil and salt and pulse until it's completely mixed. It's best to pulse, because if the food processor heats the basil it alters the composition and is more likely to oxidize.

Use the pesto the same day or freeze it in small cups as advised in my last post. If the top gets a little dark don't worry it's just a little oxidation, you can use the pesto no problem. The important thing is to not leave it too long in the fridge or it will over-oxidize and you'll have to throw it out, and nobody wants to throw out delicious pesto!

One of my favorite ways to use pesto on pasta is to mix it with ricotta cheese, sheep milk ricotta is the best, fresh if you can find it, but you can use the regular packaged kind if you can't. It will still be delicious!
You can also spread pesto on bruschetta or mix it with cream cheese to create a delicious spread for parties.

Beyond pesto, basil can be used in a myriad of ways: in tomato sauce (used far more often than oregano, which is actually used pretty sparingly unless you're in the regions of Calabria or Apulia), tomato bruschetta, as a wonderful edible garnish for just about any Italian recipe - except fish where we use parsley and in eggplant parmesean (recipe to come!).

Buon appetito!

Basil's Bounty

photo by zoyachubby

It's basil season. YAY! I absolutely love this herb for so many reasons. Flavor, of course, is the first reason. Tangy, sweet, pungent, it's the perfect addition to salads, sauces and even breads and pastas. But there are some other really cool uses for basil that I'll get into a little later. You can use it dried, but it's so much more flavorful fresh.

Growing basil is not that difficult, but does require some space if you like using it for a lot of different recipes. My mother-in-law grows hers outdoors in the summer and she actually has an entire section of her garden blocked off for it so she can make copious amounts of her fantastic pesto, which we freeze and eat all winter. Basil pesto (or Pesto alla Genovese - from Genoa) freezes really well! We spoon it into little plastic espresso cups and freeze them covered with aluminum foil, then we just take out the servings we want to use, usually one or two for two people, depending on how full we've filled the cups. We use the sweet Italian basil with leaves as pictured above. There is a "curly" basil, but the leaves are larger and a little "curly" and they have a milder flavor.

Getting off track, sorry...

To grow basil indoors or in pots so they can be brought indoors when it gets colder I like a shallower longer pot/planter so I can fit more plants. The roots don't go that deep, so an overly deep planter is not really necessary. This year I just scattered the seeds around on potting soil (the planter was almost full) and lightly covered them with soil. I would use damp soil, because if you water directly after planting the seeds might float to the top and won't germinate - oh no!

The seeds should germinate rather quickly (about a week to 10 days after sowing) which is nice for that immediate gratification those of us who have a less than green thumb. When your seedlings start looking stronger weed out the weaker ones and leave the stronger plants to grow. You can do one of two things at this point: leave very few plants to grow bigger with bigger leaves, or (this is my preferred method) leave a greater number of smaller plants. I prefer this simply because the smaller leaves are more tender and have a more concentrated flavor - I think at least - and smaller leaves are by far the better ones to use for things like pesto and tomato bruschetta. In Genoa they use only the smallest leaves to make their pesto, so when in Rome - or when in Genoa in this case!

Basil grows well in the sun, but if you live in a relatively hot place like I do (it gets over 100° regularly) I recommend placing your pots or planting in partial shade otherwise the delicate leaves will burn. Also, always plant or place out of the wind, believe it or not the wind will also burn the leaves. I almost lost all my plants this year due to an unexpected wind storm. Luckily with a little TLC they came back pretty strong. 

If you really want to give your plants a boost use a light fertilizer about once a month. Another quick tip is to pinch off the flowers as they come in. This will send most of the nutrients to the remaining leaves and should result in a fuller plant with better leaf growth. (Translation: more pesto!)

Now for some cool other uses for basil – it is a natural insect repellent! Namely flies and mosquitoes. It also promotes fresh breath. Proof: my puppy has, as might be expected, kibble breath most of the time, luckily he also loves basil leaves. Just a few leaves as a "treat" - yeah, he's pretty easy to please - leave his breath a lot fresher and his kisses much easier to take!

So, even though we are well into basil season I'm planning on sowing a few more seeds and I hope you'll give it a try too! 

My next post will be dedicated to the recipes I have for basil so stay tuned...

For the love of herbs

Whether you pronounce the "h" or not, herbs make up their own world of wonder. They are so versatile and full of beneficial properties, how could you not love them? And with a definition like this:

         Any plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavoring, food, medicine, or perfume.

herbal plants include a vast number of species, its in the thousands in fact, from the classic culinary herbs we usually think of (basil, sage, thyme, oregano, just to name a few) to the less common flowers and plants used for herbal teas and alternative remedies all over the world.

                                                        photo by salvadonica

I am passionate not only about cooking (and eating!), but also about the use and restoration of traditional remedies using plants and so have decided to embark on a long journey of study of plants for culinary as well as medicinal use (complete with recipes I use, know and love). I can't wait to get started and I hope you'll come along with me. Together we'll explore how to grow and use different herbs in the home and I would love to read any positive comments, thoughts or knowledge you'd like to leave for me here. I think we're going to have fun!

Please note that I am not a doctor and that nothing said here should be taken as professional medical advice. I will simply be transmitting the most common uses and knowledge concerning various herbs I choose to talk about. If you have questions about alternative medicines please always consult your doctor, even if you plan on consulting an herbalist in your area. Together, they will be able to help you understand which herbs may interfere with any other medication you are currently taking. (Yes, even though herbs are natural they can interfere with medication and even have adverse effects if not taken/used with care. My mother-in-law woke up with hives just from drinking some cherry bark tea a colleague had suggested to her!)

Now I'm off to make some herbal tea (of course) and settle in to study and write. Ah, the beauty and satisfaction of a new project...