Eating out of the garden all winter long….

For all of you avid herb gardeners out there,

you know that your basil plants are just about done.  If you’re in a warmer climate, like I am, they are still thriving, but  not looking as lush as they did in the heat of the summer.  They love warm nights, but as the nights cool, the plants start to wind down.  This is a perfect time to harvest the extra leaves and create a wonderful pesto to enjoy with pasta on bread or in other creative ways. Pesto comes from the verb pestare which means “to pound or grind.”  If you want to recreate the method of the old Italian cooks, use a  mortar and pestle.  But with today’s food processors, the process is much easier.  And you can freeze the extras so you’ll have it on hand this winter.

You can use either a full size food processor or if you do small batches, like I do, a mini-food processors works great. I prefer walnuts over the pine nuts due to cost difference.  I’ve also used unsalted pistachios.  They’re all delicious and lend their own unique taste to the finished product. Try toasting the nuts in a 350 degree oven for 5 – 10 minutes to enrich their flavor.

Christine’s Basil Pesto

• 2 large cloves garlic
• 3 tbsp grated Asiago parmesan cheese
• 3 tbsp pine nuts or walnuts
• 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves with stems removed
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Process the garlic, cheese, nuts and basil until finely minced

Add the olive oil and process for a 15 – 20 seconds more until blended well.

That’s it!  Place in either a glass custard dish or in a plastic resealable container with a layer of waxed paper directly on the top surface.  This helps preserve the bright green color.  Store in the refrigerator and use within a day or two.

This freezes beautifully.  Some cooks use an ice cube tray to freeze cubes of pesto.  They defrost quickly this way and are very easy to use.  I like to use empty plastic containers that I’ve recycled from either 4 oz yogurt or applesauce portions. I then place each container in a ziplock bag.  If you use ice cube trays, pop out of the trays when frozen and store in a large ziplock bag.  Either way, the pesto is always readily available until next Spring’s crop is ready. You can use it soups, stews and other cooked dishes, but add at the end of the cooking process as the heat will reduce the intensity of the flavors.

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Christine’s Notes:

This weekend we created a delicious sandwich by spreading my homemade pesto on one side of a ciabatta roll, then topping with ham, cheese, a sweet pickle sandwich stuffer, shredded lettuce, tomato and French’s Honey Dijon mustard.  Delicious!

You can also create wonderful pestos with other herbs and leafy plants. Arugula blends beautifully with walnuts, Parmesan, garlic and, of course, olive oil. Try some of these combos or come up with your own matings, adding your choice of nuts, Parmesan cheeses and enough oil to bring to the desired consistency.

• oregano, flat-leaf parsley (Italian) and spinach
• cilantro and flat-leaf parsley
• chives, flat-leaf parsley and spinach

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• Quick & Easy Weeknight Dinner: Spinach-Walnut Pesto (Kids Cook Monday) (school-bites.com)
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• Basil Pesto – With or Without Lemon (chewoutloud.com)
• Ways to Use Pesto

Quinoa: so you think it’s just a seed?

Christine’s tabbouleh style quinoa with basil
Photo Credit: Words Etc.

Quinoa – you just have to try it

You may have heard all the hype about quinoa – this amazing little seed that really packs a punch, containing more protein than any other grain. I tried it out this summer when I saw some interesting new salad recipes in Bon Appetit Magazine. I took one of the recipes for a quinoa based tabbouleh, adding my own personal touches that really reclassifies it into something other that tabbouleh.  And I apologize to my Arab readers for messing with this classic dish.  But I grow lots of basil and so have substituted basil for the mint. You’ll find the recipe below.

But before we get to that, a little more about quinoa:

Often called the “Mother Grain,” it was one of the staple food items of the Incas. Grown exclusively in the mountains of South America, it is a bit pricey, but worth every penny. I’ve found the best quinoa at my local health food store in Palm Coast, Florida, Ginger Root Market. They sell an organic variety of the ivory-colored seed. It is also available in red, black, orange, pink, and purple, but these darker varieties may be more difficult to find. I’ve also recently learned that the leaves of the quinoa plant are edible, tasting similar to spinach, chard and beets. I haven’t done much research on that, but since it is not a locally grown crop, I’m not too focused on finding the fresh leaves!

Not only is quinoa high in protein, but the protein it supplies is complete protein, meaning that it includes all nine essential amino acids. It is higher in unsaturated fats and lower in carbohydrates than most grains and is a very good source of calcium, iron, phosphorous, B vitamins,and vitamin E. Quinoa’s slow-releasing carbohydrates help to maintain blood sugar levels.

The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has officially declared that the year 2013 be recognized as “The International Year of the Quinoa,” and there’s even a movie in the works.  Check it out here.

Here’s my recipe:

Quinoa My Way

1 cup quinoa, rinsed well
½ tsp. kosher salt plus more for seasoning
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup Extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large cucumber, peeled and cut into ¼ “ pieces
1 ½ cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
2/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
½ cup chopped fresh basil
2 scallions, sliced

1. Cook quinoa in rice cooker with ½ tsp. salt and 1 ¼ cups of water. (See directions below for cooking on stove top.)
2. When quinoa is cooked let stand in cooker for 5 – 10 minutes.  Then spread in a baking pan to cool.
3. Whisk together lemon juice and garlic in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set the dressing aside.
4. When quinoa has cooled, place in a large bowl and add ¼ cup of the prepared dressing.  (You may do this part a day ahead to save time, chilling both the quinoa/dressing mixture and the additional dressing in separate covered bowls.)
5. Add cucumber, tomatoes, herbs and scallions to bowl with quinoa;  toss to coat and season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if desired. Drizzle remaining dressing over. Chill and serve.

Note: To cook quinoa on stove top:  Bring water, quinoa and salt to a boil in a medium-sized pan, and reduce to a simmer until quinoa is tender ( about 10 minutes). Continue with step 2 above.

Enjoy this often.  It’s delicious, easy to prepare and so good for you!  If you try the recipe, please tell me what you think…..

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• Meatless Mondays: Quinoa ‘burgers’ with roasted portabella mushroom ‘buns’ (edibletimes.com)
• Gluten free Quinoa Tabouli (coconutoilpost.wordpress.com)