 The weather in Atlanta has been weird this summer. Hot humid is to be expected for Summer in the South, but there has been an enormous amount of rain almost every afternoon. As a result, my herb garden is going bonkers. Like Little Shop of Horrors bonkers. I cannot prune the basil fast enough. And I certainly don’t want to waste it. So it you are looking for ideas of what to do with the basil bumper crop from your own garden, then here as a few easy suggestions: Basil Salt, Basil Butter, Lemon Basil Vinaigrette, and the option of freezing some basil for later use. I also have a great post with the best Basil Pesto Recipe ever from the NYT. Be sure to check that one out, too. I hope this helps, and enjoy!  Basil Salt: INGREDIENTS:
PREPARATION: Step 1: Pulse the salt and basil together in a blender or a food processor. Step 2: Spread it evenly onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper Step 3: Bake at 220 degrees F for 25 minutes or until completely dry Step 4: Pulse again in the food processor to break up any chunks, or break up with the back of a wooden spoon. Store in an airtight container. I like to use small mason jars and share it with friends!  Basil Butter Basil Butter is a great way to add the taste of summer to everything you’re cooking. It is great for melting over grilled veggies, steaks, chicken or fish. And I especially love it on bread when making a tomato sandwich. The best part is that it is so easy to make of lot of this, and you can freeze the extra so you can add the flavor of summer to your cooking all year long. INGREDIENTS:
PREPARATION: Step 1: Fully soften the butter by leaving it at room temperature for 30-60 minutes (or overnight) before proceeding. Step 2: Beat the butter until it's fully malleable. Is you use a silicone spatula it is easier to keep the butter from clumping together. Alternatively, you can use a hand-held electric beater on one of the slower speed. Step 3: Add the basil, garlic, zest, and salt to the butter. Continue to beat the butter with the spatula to mix and make sure that the basil is well distributed throughout the butter. Step 4 - Storage: I like to shape mine into a log using parchment paper, and that way it is easy to portion off for cooking, or to cut pretty rounds of butter for serving. But the classic method of placing it in a small serving bowl works great, too. If you choose to freeze it, I suggest using a silicone ice cube mold to create smaller pieces that once formed, can be removed from the mold and stored in an airtight container so you can have a taste of summer all year long! Lemon Basil Vinaigrette Lemon Basil vinaigrette is a light, fresh, and herby dressing that is great to use on your summer salads (I love it on arugula), or drizzled on garden veggies (It's amazing on heirloom tomatoes), or even as a marinade for chicken. This literally takes 5 minutes and is a great way to use more of the bumper crop of basil from the garden. INGREDIENTS:
PREPARATION: There are two ways to make this dressing : Method #1: Finely mince the basil, add all ingredients to a mason jar, and shake well! OR Method #2: Add all of the ingredients except the olive oil to a blender or mini food processor. Pulse a few times to make sure the basil is well chopped. Slowly add in the olive oil while mixing at a slow speed. In BOTH cases: Taste after mixing, and add more salt, pepper, and/or honey as needed. STORAGE: This dressing can least in the fridge for 3-4 days. Remember that the olive oil will solidify when cold, so remember to remove it from the fridge and let it come up to room temperature before you need it (approximately 30 minutes before). ANOTHER OPTION: If you like a more savory dressing, you can add 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese to the blender as well. Enjoy!  Frozen Basil
Another great way to preserve your basil from the summer garden is to freeze whole basil leaves to use all year when cooking pastas, sauces, and other dishes. By freezing them in this way, they will not take up a lot of room in the freezer, and the oil prevents freezer burn while also making it easy to simply break off what you need, and then replace the bag in the freezer. This is a great way to enjoy more of summer all year-long. INGREDIENTS:
PREPARATION: Step 1: Wash and dry the basil. It must be completely dry for this method to work. Step 2: Add all of the basil to a bowl, and toss with the olive oil. Make sure that each leaf is well covered in the oil. Step 3: Add all of the basil the the ziplock bag, spreading them into a flat-ish layer. Step 4: Place the bag flat on the counter, and squeeze out as much of the air as possible. The easiest way to do this it to zip the bag 90% of the way closed, and gently force out all of the air until it looks vacuum sealed, then quickly zip the rest of the bag closed. Place the bag flat in the freezer. TO USE: When you need basil, simply open the bag and break off what you need, then place the bag back in the freezer. Don’t take it out of the freezer until you need it because it will defrost very quickly.  I am thoroughly enjoying everything FIFA World Cup right now. But nothing is more fascinating to me than the obsession with Ranch Dressing from visitors to the US. To all of you who don’t have room to bring some home in your suitcase – here is the recipe for Homemade Ranch Dressing. It is extremely easy to make and you probably already have all of the ingredients at home. I hope when you make it at home that it will joyfully remind you of your time here for the World Cup. The ranch dressing at restaurants is so good because they usually make it from scratch. And it is the fresh ingredients that make the difference. Please note that only real buttermilk (not the fake kind that is made by combining milk with lemon juice or vinegar) should be used, as well as full-fat dairy products. But the real secret ingredient is the freshly minced garlic. Enjoy! Homemade Ranch Dressing
Ingredients:
Preparation: Step 1: In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, dried dill*, dried parsley*, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Step 2: Whisk in the buttermilk gradually to ensure desired consistency. Step 3: * Note: If using fresh dill and parsley, mix everything together first, then fold in the fresh spices here at Step 3. Step 4: If time allows, refrigerate for 1 hour or more before serving to allow flavors to blend. Note: Store dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.  It is Pink Azalea Season! Pink Azaleas are the signature drink of the Masters. And while I have never been fortunate enough to get tickets to go, it doesn’t mean that I can’t appreciate it from afar. And with the warm temperatures having arrived in the South you can tell it’s right around the corner - “Amen Corner” that is. Augusta National supposedly released the official recipe last year, but I still find a number of different versions for it online. Some call for pineapple juice, some call for gin, and some call for lemon juice. This one is from an article in Golf.com in 2024 that claims to be the official one, and based on how easy it was to make I’d say that this is most likely correct since you know they are making them en masse in Augusta. And it is perfectly refreshing. Enjoy, and Fore! The Pink Azalea: INGREDIENTS:
PREPARATION: Step 1: Add some ice and all ingredients to a shaker to mix well. Step 2: Pour over ice, garnish and enjoy!   I love London, and I love tea. I drink a lot of it. I usually drink it straight up – no sugar, no cream or milk. But I feel like the universe kept putting the London Fog latte tea drink in my path, so I had to try it. And shocker – I already had everything I needed to make it at home. I thoroughly enjoyed this as an alternative to my regular tea, and on a snowy morning here in Atlanta it felt like a hug. You may see the London Fog with different names on a menu, such as an Earl Grey Latte, a Tea Latte, or a London Fog Latte. It is a regular item on the Starbucks menu, but my suggestion would be to reduce their default number of 4 vanilla syrup pumps to just one pump. And you can also order it iced, which I’ve discovered is also a really refreshing alternative to iced tea, A London Fog Tea INGREDIENTS:
PREPARATION: 1. Boil the water in a tea kettle. Place the tea bags in a teapot or other container - like a Pyrex measuring cup - and pour the boiling water over the tea bags. Let it steep for 5 minutes. 2. Remove the tea bags and pour into two mugs. 3. Add the milk, vanilla, and honey to a milk frother, or mix it in a small cup and use a hand-held frother. Froth until it is velvety. 4. Divide the milk mixture between the two mugs by pouring it over the tea and serve. Optional: While the tea is steeping, add some food grade dried lavender to enhance the lavender essence of the Earl Grey tea. Strain it out when pouring the tea into the mugs.   This Valentine's mocktail is all about fun. The heart-shaped ice cubes have edible glitter, and the rim is covered in pink strawberry frosting and pink sprinkles. You can top it off with club soda, seltzer, or a pink soda of your choice. I feel like Dolly would really like this one. Pink Sweetie Valen-tini Mocktail
INGREDIENTS:
PREPARATION: 1. Use the white cranberry & strawberry juice to make heart -shaped ice cubes. Freeze overnight. 2. Coat the rim of a coupe or martini glass with the pink strawberry frosting, and then coat in pink sprinkles. 3. Place three of the heart shaped ice cubes into the glass, and top with sparkling beverage of your choice (pink soda, club soda, or seltzer). Cheers!  Here is a pretty mimosa or mocktail for Valentine's Day. The secret ingredient is the glitter ice cubes. These heart shaped ice cubes can be made with pomegranate or cranberry juice with edible gold glitter. I was able to find a heart shaped ice cube tray at Homegoods, but I know they have them on Amazon as well. Valentine's Mimosas INGREDIENTS:
PREPARATION: 1. Pour the pomegranate juice into the ice cube molds, and sprinkle with the edible glitter. Freeze overnight. 2. To serve, place three of the pomegranate ice cubes in a flute, and top with sparkling beverage of your choosing. Cheers!   The Lemon Drops I made at Christmas were a tremendous hit with everyone, so I was excited to find a recipe for a Lemon Drop just for Valentine's Day. This drink recipe is not complicated, and by adding pink sugar to the rim you can rally dress it up a bit. Enjoy, and Happy Valentine's Day! Valentine's Lemon Drop
INGREDIENTS:
PREPARATION: 1. Dip the rim of a coupe glass in simple syrup and then firmly place it on a small plate covered in sugar. Ideally pink sugar. Place the glass in the freezer to set. 2. Add the vodka, lemon juice, orange liqueur, and strawberry syrup to a shaker. Add ice and shake until chilled. 3. Strain into the prepared glass. Garnish with 3 fresh strawberries (cut into heart shapes) on a skewer. * Homemade Strawberry Syrup: INGREDIENTS:
PREPARATION:
 Every woman who lived vicariously through, and loved, "Sex & the City" loves to order a Cosmo. SO why not create a special cosmo just for Valentine's Day? And this one includes raspberries as a departure from all of the strawberry focused Valentine's cocktails. This cocktail is made for Girl's Night, Mahjong, or a "Sex & the City" binge watch. Galentine's Cosmo
INGREDIENTS:
PREPARATION:
 I love all the pretty in pink drinks that circulate around Valentine's Day. And I always like a French 75, so I knew this one would be a favorite. This one is as easy as can be. And although the pink edible glitter is optional, it's really not. This cocktail really needs to sparkle. Galentine's French 75
INGREDIENTS:
PREPARATION: 1. Add gin, lemon juice, syrup, and glitter to a cocktail shaker 2. Add ice, and shake well until chilled. 3. Strain into a flute or coupe glass. * Homemade Strawberry Syrup: INGREDIENTS:
PREPARATION:
 In my search for a few fun holiday cocktails, I found this one with a fun color palette thanks to some blue curaçao.
I thought this would truly be a novelty drink, but you may want to look past that and consider making this one since it may have been the biggest beverage success I've made yet. Cheers! Snowflake Spritz INGREDIENTS: 3 oz prosecco 1 ox elderflower liqueur 1/2 oz blue curacao 1 oz club soda edible glitter PREPARATION: Step 1: Use a wide mouth glass like a balloon red wine glass or a coupe. Add in ice. Step 2: Mix in the elderflower, blue curacao, club soda and edible glitter, and stir. Step 3: Garnish with some cranberries and a rosemary sprig. |
AuthorKris Delaney is a marketing executive, foodie, travel enthusiast, and book nerd based in Atlanta, GA. Archives
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