A coworker brought in some basil for me yesterday.
There is so much basil. I think she cut down a basil tree.
Because there is so much basil, I was compelled by forces outside of my control to stop at the store for tomatoes and fresh squishy mozzarella so I could eat up a ton of basil right away. I had that last night and it was so, so good.
But I still have a ton of basil. She actually gave me whole plants with some root still attached, so I’m considering planting them in the garden to see if they take, but they smell so good in my kitchen right now and I want to eat them.
Does anyone have any good recipes for gobs and gobs of basil? I’m considering making pesto and freezing some of it, but there are a lot of variations in pesto recipes and I’m not sure where to start. I’m not sure I like pine nuts, and I don’t even know where I’d buy them… I have lots of spinach, can I mix that into the pesto or would that be weird? I’ve also got time to make a decent dinner tonight since I’m off work, so I’d gladly accept suggestions on how I can use some fresh basil tonight.
Pine nuts can be purchased at any good supermarket, usually in the produce section where other nuts are found, but sometimes they place them in the spice section.
Also, you can use basil in salad, or even on sandwiches.
Take your spinash (around a pound) and your basil leaves (a cup or more of leaves off the stalks), both well washed and very clean.
Saute some garlic (as much as you like) in a pan with a bit of olive oil. when it’s browned, add all your spinash and basil to the pan, toss in a TBSP of water, and cover the pan so the greens all wilt in the steam.
Now, take your wilted/cooked/steamed/whatever you want to call it greens and garlic, and put them in a blender or food processor with some olive oil (start with a couple of tablespoons, add more if it looks dry and clumpy). It isn’t necessary to drain the water off the greens, and if you use a blender, you definitely should not.
Mix in a good 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese and some toasted pine nuts ground up in a mortar & pestle (you can also use walnuts if you like them).
Nom!
Pesto can be frozen in ice cube trays then ziploc bagged for later.
ETA: basil is also good in Panzanella, italian bread salad with basil and tomatoes.
Take a decorative bottle (or any old bottle in a pinch). I drink Sambuca on occasion so I have saved up some nice bottles that are somewhat decorative glass flasks with clear flat sides so you can see the pretty stuff inside. Stuff that baby very full with well cleaned basil leaves. Then fill up the bottle with basalmic vinegar. You don’t need the high end stuff. The cheap stuff is fine. And shop around because the same low end stuff can still vary greatly in price from place to place. Sometimes to cut down on the cost I also add some white vinegar with enough sugar added to take the edge off or cheap rice wine vinegar so I don’t have to use so much basalmic.
The basil will infuse the vinegar with a wonderful smell (and to some extent taste). Makes a nice aromatic vinegar for a simple salad dressing or bread dip (and probably other uses). I give em out as random/minor holiday/housewarming type of gifts.
Oh, and being a die hard southerner, has anybody ever deep fried basil leaves? Always thought that might be worth experimenting with but have never tried it (we never fry stuff at home).
I see them in grocery stores here all the time. Maybe it’s a regional thing. They’re usually in those little jars, not in with the bags of nuts.
Granted, they tend to be in small quantities and they are expensive. Walnuts are a passable substitute, or you can consider going to a warehouse store. I know I’ve seen them at Costco before, but I don’t know if they stock them continuously.
I know, this is why I said it - I always thought they were everywhere until I started looking for them. And we don’t have Costco up here. BJ’s Wholesale Club has them intermittently, and Sam’s Club may but we don’t have a membership.
Can I try the spinach and basil pesto without nuts of any kind? I mentioned nuts to my husband and he made a face. If necessary to use, I think I’ll do walnuts because I can use leftover walnuts for other things… how do I treat the walnuts in the recipe, just use them straight? Toast them?
Your husband doesn’t like nuts at all? No, the taste will be radically different without nuts. BUT, I never toast the nuts at all, pine or otherwise, I don’t like the toasted bit. Just toss them in and grind them up.
I would make a batch without, try it, and then you can always throw in the nuts if you don’t like it. Truthfully, the basil is pretty overpowering.
Hmmm. I’ve never had a problem finding pine nuts, either in Florida or now here in Tennessee. I shop at Publix and they’ve been there whenever I’ve gone to look for them. I make pesto about every two months.
Pesto Cheesecake is one of the best uses for lots of basil I know. Despite the name and the preparation, it’s not a dessert or meant to be eaten in slices. It works best as a sort of spread or dip.
Not problems with pine nuts here, either, although they appear in all sorts of sections of the store.
Anyhow, they are bloody expensive, so I end up subbing something else. You actually don’t have to use nuts of any kind. Try sunflower or pumpkin seeds (buy them unsalted, though.) They’re usually the cheapest nut-like thing at my store, and I actually like them better than walnuts or almonds in pesto.
Fried rice. Right at the end, after you’ve turned off the heat, toss in a handful, about twice as much as you would think. Stir it into the rice & meat really well, it’ll wilt and mix in. The fragrance will be amazing. This would probably work with any chicken and/or vegetable stir fry.
And you don’t have to deep fry the leaves, you can sizzle them in some very hot melted butter. Only a small amount, you don’t want to overcrowd the pan.
Yes. This is actually my favorite use for basil, particularly cinnamon basil or Thai basil. There’s a particular Thai stir fry which is basically just fish sauce, hot peppers, protein of some sort, garlic/shallots and gobs of basil leaves. One of my favorite summer dishes…
That might be worth a shot, if I had a fryer. The indian buffet has a fried spinach that’s delicious, and I’d imagine mixing in some basil into that would be even better.
Pistachios! Don’t use pine nuts in the pesto, use pistachios. You can buy them shelled way cheaper than pine nuts, and as Alton Brown says, they’re already green! I always had too much mint at the old house, and I would mix it 50:50 with fresh spinach for my pesto. Then add a couple handfuls of pistachios, some raw garlic (because I keeps it real), parmesan, and enough good quality olive oil to hold together and BAM, you are good to go. Also freezes great once you add the oil.
