Recipes: Basil!

It's that time -- that moment in summer when gardens everywhere are bursting with a bright green explosion and the heady, sweet scent of basil. Think that basil is just for pesto and Italian foods? You're wrong! Called "The King of Herbs", basil has a versatile and surprising flavor that can be incorporated in a million different ways. (Not that we don't love a delicious, fresh Caprese salad now and then!)

Icy Basil Lemonade
This one is from my own kitchen -- I've been making it once a week all summer. Some people are skeptical at first, but everyone is converted as soon as they take a sip! The the bright green leaves also look beautiful floating in a glass pitcher with the yellow lemon wheels.

Ingredients
6-8 ripe lemons
8-10 fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup superfine sugar, adding more to taste. (Substitute honey, agave nectar or stevia if desired)
Ice and filtered water

Procedure
Juice all but one of your lemons (I roll them on the table before cutting to really get the juices flowing). Add sugar and stir thoroughly until dissolved. Add a few scoops of ice and fill with cold filtered water. Taste, add more sugar or lemon juice as needed -- I like mine on the tart side. Slice your last lemon into wheels and drop into pitcher, along with your basil leaves. Stir. Let sit for at least 30 minutes for the basil to infuse. Serve over ice. Note: I always remove the basil after 1 day as they can wilt overnight -- but the yummy flavor remains!

Basil Infused Olive Oil
Here's a great way to make your fresh basil work for you in a whole different way! (from foodnetwork.com)

Ingredients
1 bunch fresh basil
1 cup pure olive oil

Procedure
Tear the leaves off of the basil and place in a blender with the olive oil. Puree until smooth. Pour mixture into a large saucepan or skillet and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a sterilized airtight jar or bottle. Store in a cool, dark place for up to 1 week.

Basil Dill Coleslaw
This recipe takes a summer classic -- ordinary coleslaw -- to a new level!

Ingredients
6 cups shredded cabbage
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
3 tablespoons snipped fresh dill, divided

DRESSING:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons half-and-half cream
1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

Procedure
In a serving bowl, combine the cabbage, basil and dill. In a small bowl, combine dressing ingredients until blended. Pour over cabbage mixture and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

The possibilities really are endless when it comes to basil! What are your favorite basil recipes?

Recipes: Blueberries!

Blueberries are one of the best parts of summer eating. Antioxident rich, sweet, juicy, and slightly tart when fresh, blueberries are great in desserts or smoothies, sprinkled on yogurt, or eaten alone as a snack.

We figured that you've already gotten the best muffin and pie recipies... how about a couple of new ideas for our favorite berries? Here's a delicous salad featuring blueberries & fennel (both in your shares this week!) and a tasty, berry-packed twist on latkes. (Both from justberryrecipes.com)

Peach, Blueberry and Fennel Salad

Ingredients
1/4 cup + 1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 medium red onion, very thinly sliced
2 large peaches seeded and sliced
1 cup blueberries
1 medium head fennel, cored and very thinly sliced
1 cup cilantro, loosely packed, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon olive or enova oil
Coarse salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Preparation
Place onions and 1/4 cup lime juice in a shallow non-reactive dish and set aside for 30 minutes or overnight. In a large non-reactive salad bowl, toss together peaches, blueberries, fennel, and cilantro. Remove onions from lime juice, discard juice. Add to bowl with salad. Add remaining lime juice, olive, salt and pepper, and toss until combined. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve over grilled fish, shrimp or scallops, or enjoy by itself.



Blueberry Latkes

Ingredients

2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tbsp. Matzo meal
3 eggs, well beaten
1 1/2 c. milk (about)
4 tbsp. melted butter
2 c. fresh blueberries
Sugar
Maple syrup
Butter

Preparation

Sift first 3 dry ingredients, then add sugar and matzo meal. Add milk to eggs. Stir into flour. Stir in melted butter. Beat until smooth. Grease surface of a large frying pan or griddle and fry large latkes on medium heat, browning nicely on both sides. To serve, heat fruit gently, sweetening to taste. Spread with butter, put together in threes with blueberries between layers and syrup on top. Serves 4.

What is It? Scapes!

You are in for a treat in your CSA haul this week: Scapes. If you've never tried them, start now.

Scapes are the flower stems that garlic plants produce before the bulbs mature. Growers often remove the scapes to push the plant’s energy toward bigger bulbs, and when harvested while they are young and tender, the scapes are delicious. Looking like a curly spring-onion, with a subtle garlic-y taste, scapes will soon be your new best friend. They can serve as vegetable, aromatic, and herb all in one yummy bite!

I first tried them simply -- grilled with a little olive oil -- and I was totally converted to a scape-maniac who looks forward to them every summer. But if you want to get creative, here are a few ideas:

dice them into scrambled eggs
blend them into hummus
slice them thin into a salad
sauté them
use a small bit in guacamole
turn into a compound-butter with lemon and thyme
use in a pesto (see recipe below!)

Recipe for Garlic Scape Pesto (courtesy of seriouseats.com)
- makes about 1 cup -

Ingredients
1/4 cup pine nuts (or walnuts)
3/4 cup coarsely chopped garlic scapes
Juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon salt
A few generous grinds of black pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Procedure
1. In a small, dry pan set over very low heat, lightly toast the pine nuts, stirring or tossing occasionally until just beginning to brown, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for a few minutes.

2. Combine the scapes, pine nuts, lemon juice and zest, salt, and pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse about 20 times, until fairly well combined. Pour in the olive oil slowly through the feed tube while the motor is running. When the oil is incorporated, transfer the pesto to a bowl and stir in the grated cheese. If you plan to freeze the pesto, wait to add the cheese until after you've defrosted it.

Easy Sauteed Bok Choy

This week, all shares inlcude one of our favorite veggies: bok choy. This Chinese cabbage is ridiculously healthy and nutritious; one half cup of raw bok choy, which is approximately 56 grams, contains only 10 calories. Additionally, bok choy contains no fat or cholesterol and is a good source of calcium (hear that, nursing moms?). It is also low in sodium and high in vitamins C and A. And, it's just plain YUMMY. Bok choy is delicious steamed, in soups, raw in salads, or, in our favorite preparation -- a garlicky stir fry.

Sure, this recipe is nothing fancy... but it's fast, easy, and oh so tasty.

Ingredients
1 head bok choy, sliced, both white and green parts
1/3 cup onion, diced
1/2 tablespoon grated gingerroot
2 cloves garlic, crushed (or more, if you love garlic like we do!)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons sesame seeds
1/4 cup chicken or veggie broth
crushed red pepper flakes (optional)













Directions
1. Rinse and drain bok choy and set aside.
2. Sauté onion, garlic and ginger in olive oil and sesame oil until onion is tender.
3. Add remaining ingredients and sauté for about 8 minutes.

That's it. Three steps. Thank us later.