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Basil time By Kady Guyton
I was able to get out and enjoy my first farmer's market of the season last week in downtown Grass Valley. It's early yet, but the produce looked great and will only get better. One of my scores: a very large bunch of fresh basil for the insanely good price of $1. This was magnificent basil. Some flowers, lots of small tender leaves and a few stalks of purple basil mixed in as an added bonus. I took it home, popped it into a glass of water and considered what to do with it. Basil is one of my favorite herbs, with a distinctively peppery flavor, it goes well with almost anything and stands up to spicy dishes like pepperoni pizza and lasagna. A great use of basil is chopping it very finely then strewing it across a hot pizza - either homemade or delivered. It tastes great with the tomato sauce and people will think you made an effort. Like most fresh herbs, basil does best when treated like fresh flowers. Trim the stems and pop the whole bunch into fresh water. It can either be kept in the refrigerator or on the countertop. No matter what, though, all good things eventually come to an end and finding a use for the basil will make that time less sad. Pesto is perfect for this. It is easy to make, reduces large amounts of basil down to a couple cups and can be frozen indefinitely. Nothing is better during the dead of winter than a shot of pesto that was made at peak freshness. Most commercially produced pesto has been over-processed to a paste-like consistency. Classic, authentic pesto should have some texture and a little roughness. Running it through a food processor or blender can be problematic because the leaves can turn brown. I'm not saying not to do, just be aware of the issue. Another way to help preserve the green color is to add a little parsley to the mix. Pine nuts are the traditional ingredient in pesto, but walnuts are an acceptable substitute. The fresh parmesan cheese and garlic are non-negotioable. If you find powdered parmesan from a can sneaking into your pesto, flee the kitchen immediately. Once the pesto is made, keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 10 days or use immediately. If freezing is on the agenda, use a container just big enough to hold the pesto and cover with a light coating of olive oil prior to freezing. This helps retain color and moisture. Alternately, line an ice cube tray with plastic wrap, fill with pesto and freeze in cubes. Use these as needed all winter long. A pesto variation that's very popular around my house is Pesto Alfredo Fettucini. The sauce goes well with most pastas and tastes great the next day. Enjoy with a dry white wine and lots of napkins. Pesto 1 large bunch of basil, leaves only, washed and dried Roughly chop all dry ingredients with a large sharp knife or pulse a few times in a food processor or blender. Combine with olive oil and serve or freeze. Pesto Alfredo Sauce 2 cups heavy cream Combine cream, cheese and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir, watching to make sure nothing boils. When cheese is melted and sauce is starting to thicken, add pesto. Stir to combine. Serve hot over pasta, topping with reserved pesto. |
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