Despite a long string of 90-degree days and not enough rain, my basil is thriving. Thanks to soft and tasty leaves at the ready, pesto is making regular appearances on my table.
Basil loves the sun and a well-drained spot in the garden, but it also grows well in a pot on a bright, sunny window sill. It’s a quick harvest, with leaves ready for picking in as little as three or four weeks.
If you don’t grow the fragrant green herb, you can find it easily enough at farmers markets or the grocery store, both in plant form for easy snipping and in bunches. Basil has long been considered the “king of herbs” because it is so flavorful and versatile.
Basil plays a supporting role in any number of pasta dishes, and it pairs so wonderfully with tomatoes that it is a key player not just in caprese salad and classic marinara sauce but also on a pizza margherita as a salute to the green stripe in Italy’s flag.
Basil needs some TLC when it is brought home from the market or taken inside from the garden. It does a lot better stored like a bouquet of flowers in a glass of water on the counter at room temperature. But the leaves also can be wrapped in paper towels, placed in a plastic bag and slipped into the fridge. Just know they keep only for a day or so when chilled.
To use the basil immediately, we’ve got some tasty ideas.
CORN ON THE COB WITH BASIL PESTO BUTTER
Pesto is super easy to make, and it can dress up so many more things than a plate of pasta. For a spectacular summer taste, we suggest mixing it with softened butter to use as a spread for corn on the cob.
Pesto butter also is wonderful on grilled meats or fish, potatoes or on toasted bread. The sky’s the limit.
For pesto
2 cups packed basil leaves
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup olive oil, or more to taste
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
For corn
6 ears freshly shucked corn
4 tablespoons softened butter
Grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish, optional
Make pesto: In blender or food processor, combine all ingredients except salt and pulse until smooth but still a bit chunky, about 1 minute. Add a little more olive oil if it seems too thick. Taste and add salt as needed.
If not using right away, store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. You also freeze the pesto in ice cube trays; add a drop of olive oil to the top of each cube and cover tightly with plastic wrap.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add corn and cook 5 minutes.
While corn is cooking, mix softened butter with 2 tablespoons pesto.
Brush (or slather) pesto butter on top of cooked corned. If desired, sprinkle buttered ears with grated Parmesan. Serve immediately.
Serves 3 to 6.
BASIL-KISSED LIME PIE
This five-ingredient pie starts with a homemade graham cracker crust. But you could swap out the graham crackers for 1 1/2 cups of crushed chocolate wafers. Or use a store-bought crust.
For crust
10 full sheets of graham crackers
5 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
1/3 cup sugar
For filling
3 teaspoons grated lime zest
3 egg yolks
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice, from about 6 limes
1/4 cup thinly sliced basil (about 12 large leaves)
1 cup heavy or whipping cream chilled, for garnish
Lime slices, for garnish
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Make crust: Finely grind graham crackers in a food processor or in a large plastic zip-close bag using a rolling pin. You should get about 1 1/2 cups of crumbs.
Mix the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar together with a rubber spatula in a medium bowl until well combined. It will be coarse and sandy. Press the crust mixture into the bottom of a pie pan dish and slightly up the sides.
Bake crust for 8 minutes; remove and allow to cool slightly.
Prepare filling: Whisk the lime zest and egg yolks together in a medium bowl until creamy and well blended. Whisk in the sweetened condensed milk, then the lime juice. Gently fold in basil.
Bake pie until the center is set but still jiggles a little, about 15 to 17 minutes. Cool to room temperature then chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours.
When ready to serve, whip heavy or whipping cream with a mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer outfitted with a whisk until stiff peaks form. Spoon whipped cream into a plastic zip-close bag, and snip off a corner. Pipe the whipped cream on the edges of the pie, zigzag it evenly across the top or simply serve it alongside the pie in a pretty bowl.
If you like, you also can garnish the pie with thin lime slices.
Serves 6 to 8.
SPICY THAI CHICKEN BASIL
Stir-fries are good any time of year because they come together quickly after you chop all the ingredients. This one pairs chicken and green beans in a rich and spicy sauce punctuated with lots of sliced basil.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons fish sauce
3 tablespoons sugar
1 red bell pepper, chopped
8 ounces green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 small yellow onion or 2 shallots, cut into thin slices
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 fresh red Thai chilies, deseeded and finely chopped, or or 1 teaspoon dried red-pepper flakes
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 to 2 cups lightly packed basil leaves
Jasmine rice, to serve
Heat the oil in a wok or heavy, high-walled skillet over high heat. As the wok is heating up, whisk together the oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce and sugar until well-combined. Set aside.
Add the bell pepper and green beans to the hot wok. Stir-fry for 1 minute. Stir in the onion, garlic and chilies. Cook until fragrant, about 1 more minute.
Add in the chicken and stir-fry, breaking apart as you go, until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes.
Pour in the prepared sauce. Continue to cook until the sauce begins to glaze onto the meat, about 1 to 2 more minutes.
Stir in the Thai basil leaves and cook until the chicken is completely cooked through, the basil is wilted, and the liquid has mostly evaporated. Serve warm with rice. Taste and add more chili flakes if it is not adequately spicy.
Serves 4.
– Adapted from hostthetoast.com
Tribune News Service
The Link LonkAugust 12, 2020 at 04:22PM
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Make the most of basil, summer’s favorite herb - Boston Herald
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Herb
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