Last summer, I grew basil. Though I’ve never been a gardener and it’s not something my immediate family does, I find myself around more and more gardeners. This year, I’m trying to expand. Peer pressure! So far, besides my cilantro (which died when I went out of town for three hot, rainless days), basil has been my biggest success.
What to do with so much basil? Of course I have a few standby recipes that use it – otherwise I wouldn’t bother growing my own – but I looked through my cookbooks to find an interesting recipe for my basil. Maybe a pesto or something. Ah-ha, I made the Sweet Basil Pesto Tapenade from Venganomicon.
This is basil, garlic, walnuts, maple syrup, olive oil, and a little lemon zest all whipped together in the food processor.
I’ve been eating it on toast, or in sandwiches. It’s sweet and packs a flavor punch with all that basil. My favorite way to enjoy it, though, has been in a sandwich stuffed with other things too. Here’s a pocket with a leftover piece of broiled tofu and a slice of roasted eggplant along with the basil spread.
mmmm! This looks great! I've always wanted to have more plants in my house...but I can't even keep a cactus alive! :(
ReplyDeleteThat looks delicious. I love basil.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to be looking for more basil recipes!
ReplyDeleteLuckily, basil is not that hard to keep alive! It inspires me every year to grow more of my own food! I have oregano now and think I'll grow some mint next!
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