June 2011 Taste
Recipes contributed by Barbara Voris Eastman, editor
Whether you have a garden full of homegrown herbs or you buy them at the local farmers market or the grocery store (say it isn’t so!), fresh herbs pack a bold flavor punch that can change summer dishes from great to spectacular!
Basic Pesto
Pesto is one of the most versatile sauces you can make. It is delicious on pasta, but may also be used to enhance the flavor of many other dishes (see below). There are some variables here, so taste as you go.
Depending on the cheese, you may not need any salt and some people like lots of garlic—others, not so much. So, I recommend you blend in one clove at a time. You can always add more. While pine nuts are traditional, you may substitute just about any nut you have on hand (walnuts, cashews, almonds or pecans). Also, depending on how you plan to use the pesto, you may want more (or less) olive oil. Adjust ingredients to your taste to create your own signature pesto.
Ingredients:
3 c. fresh basil leaves
½ c. best quality extra virgin olive oil
1/3 c. pine nuts, toasted
2-3 cloves garlic
½ c. parmesan-reggiano or pecorino
½ to 1 tsp. kosher salt (DO NOT use table salt)
Pepper to taste
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice (optional)
Place 4 c. clean and dry basil leaves in the work bowl of your food processor. Toast pine nuts either in a pan on top of the stove (no need to put anything in the pan—just the pine nuts), the oven or a toaster oven. But be careful, as they burn very quickly. You’re just giving them a light toast to enhance the flavor. Add the pine nuts to the work bowl. Add 1 or 2 garlic cloves and put the lid onto the work bowl. Process with several short pulses until leaves are chopped fairly well. Then turn the processor on and add the olive oil in a steady stream through the feed tube until desired consistency is reached. Grate the cheese yourself—do not be tempted to use cheese in those plastic tubs from the deli department.
Remove lid and add cheese; pulse once or twice to blend. Then taste and add salt if desired and a few grinds of fresh black pepper, to taste. You may also add a little more oil at this point or when you combine it with pasta if you think it needs it. Best used right away, but if you need to store leftovers, add a little olive oil to the container before refrigerating OR you may freeze in an ice try and, when frozen, wrap cubes individually in plastic wrap for later use.
Other things you can do with pesto:
• Add a little to mayonnaise and spread on your favorite
sandwich.
• Add to sour cream, cream cheese (or both) and serve
with crudités.
• Add to mashed potatoes.
• Add to scrambled eggs or frittatas.
• Use instead of red sauce on pizza.
• Spread on toasted baguette and top with chopped
tomatoes, onions, garlic, and fresh basil for a wonderful, deeply flavorful
bruschetta.
• Add to soups, especially minestrone or tomato.
• Add a cube to your homemade spaghetti sauce.
• Makes a great topping for grilled or broiled fish
filets.
Chimichurri Sauce
We can thank our South American neighbors in Argentina for
this bright herb sauce, which is traditionally served with grilled steaks. It’s
great with flat iron, flank, skirt steaks or rib eyes, or any cut of beef that
you enjoy. It is also good with fish.
Ingredients:
3 c. fresh flat leaf parsley, stemmed
2 c. fresh cilantro, stemmed
1 c. fresh mint, stemmed
¾ c. best quality extra virgin olive oil
3-4 peeled garlic cloves
1/3 c. red wine vinegar
1/3 c. fresh lime juice
½ t. red pepper flakes
2 tbsp. minced shallot
Salt to taste
In the work bowl of food processor, place olive oil, garlic, vinegar, lime juice, red pepper flakes, and shallot and blend. Add 1/3 of the herbs (parsley, cilantro, and mint) and process, adding the balance of the herbs in two steps until processed and smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Grill steaks and top with chimichurri or use small condiment dishes and serve on the side.
Classic Bruschetta
Chances are that many people who are growing their own herbs
also have at least a few tomato plants.
With these two main ingredients coming straight from your garden you can create one of the easiest and most popular appetizers out there: bruschetta! The topping is basically like an Italian version of chunky salsa. There are many variations. Some people like to add chopped olives or marinated mushrooms; some like to slip a slice of buffalo mozzarella underneath the tomato topping and call it “ala Caprese.” Experiment with the ingredients you like and you’ll soon be famous for your bruschetta. What time would you like us to arrive?
Ingredients:
10 plum tomatoes, diced
1-2 fresh garlic cloves, peeled minced
2 tbsp. red onion, chopped
¾ c. loosely packed basil leaves, stemmed (extra for
garnish)
1 t. lemon juice
1/3 c. best quality extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparing the bread:
1 loaf crusty
Italian or French baguette
1 clove fresh garlic, peeled and sliced
Extra olive oil to brush on bread
Preheat oven to 350. Cut bread on the diagonal into approximately ½ inch slices. Pour 2-3 tbsp. olive oil into a saucer or shallow bowl. Add sliced garlic to the olive oil and press slices with a fork to release the flavor. Place plain bread slices on a cookie sheet and toast in the oven. When lightly brown, remove from the oven and flip the slices over. Remove garlic slices from the oil and brush flavored oil (sparingly) onto bread and place on a cookie sheet. Return to the oven ‘til toasted (do not allow to over brown).
Slice tomatoes into quarters and remove seeds and pulp. Skipping this easy step may result in soggy bruschetta (and who wants that?). Next, chop the tomatoes into a small dice and add the minced garlic.
Start with one clove and see how you like it. If you like more garlic, simply add one or more minced cloves. Add red onion, chopped basil, salt and pepper to taste. Whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice and add to the bowl. Allow the mixture to sit for half an hour so the flavors meld. Note: If desired you may add ¼ to ½ c. grated parmesan or other firm cheese. Make sure you grate your own and if you are using cheese, hold off on the salt until you have tasted the tomato mixture with the cheese added. As is the case with the pesto recipe (in this section) adding cheese and salt without tasting first may result in a dish that’s way too salty. Spoon room temperature mixture on top of prepared bread slices and garnish with a little more chopped basil.
Barbara Voris Eastman grew up in Michigan City
and moved back to the area after spending nearly 35 years working in
Chicago. She is both the editor
and a regular contributor to TheBeachCoast.com™.
