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What great timing that new garlic, basil and tomatoes all come ready at the same time in Northeast gardens. Two thousand heads of hard neck, pungent heads are curing in a cool shed where I garden while a few waving rows of broad-leafed Italian basil perfume the bed next to the ripening tomatoes. Squat and bumpy, striped, yellow and pear-shaped, many tomatoes droop on the trellises, ripening from the inside on the vine.
Nobody has to tell you that pesto is the first and foremost way to celebrate basil and garlic. One big clove goes into your food processor bowl, along with a handful of pine nuts or walnuts and a chunk of good Parmesan (at least 1/2 cup grated or a roughly three-inch by three-inch piece). Chop all this well and then stuff in about 4 cups of basil leaves. Also pour in olive oil to taste, between ¼ and ½ cup. You can also add some salt, black pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice to keep the pesto green. Eat this right way; if you want to freeze it in foil packets instead, leave out the cheese to add when using. A handful of parsley is good along with the basil, as are fennel frons and a very small hot pepper.
Yes, a pot of well-cooked pasta or a plate of those warm-from-the-garden tomatoes is the classic pairing for pesto. Because I can't bear to let the basil go unused, I always freeze more than I can use that way so I have figured out how to use my store in several other ways.
Pesto Corn Mini Muffins
1/14 c. cornmeal, white or yellow
1 c. flour
2 ½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
2Tbs. canola oil
1 egg
¾ c. milk
3-4 Tbs. pesto, with or without cheese included
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Oil a min-muffin pan. Mix the dry ingredients together. Mix the wet ingredients, including the pesto, together with a fork. Mix together briefly, adding more milk if the batter is too dry but not overmixing. Spoon the batter into the min muffin cups and bake for 12-18 min. or until light brown. Serve with soup and cheese. Should make 18 muffins or more.
Pesto Chicken or Fish
6 pieces chicken or 1/5 lbs. fish, such as swordfish or halibut
4-5 Tbs. pesto
roasted red pepper strips (optional)
Grill chicken or bake chicken or fish until cooked thru. Remove from heat and brush on room- temperature pesto immediately. Top with roasted pepper strips. Serve with lemon slices on the side. If you have leftover, make a salad adding a little mayonnaise and a little more pesto to the mix.
Pesto Appetizer Spread (or Dip)
4-5 Tbs. pesto
1 large block of cream cheese or a mix of sour cream or Greek yogurt and cream cheese
juice of half a lemon (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
one small hot pepper, minced (optional)
Mix all ingredients in a food processor fitted with a plastic blade. When smooth and well-mixed, scrape the mix into a dish, cover and chill. Serve with crackers as a spread or thin with a lemon juice to serve with pita chips to dip.
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