 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.   Making pickled red onions takes 10-15 minutes, and you only need 5 basic ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen: red onions, white vinegar, water, sugar and salt.
Crunchy and tangy – pickled red onions add a brightness to almost any dish. Here are some examples of where you can use them:
Pickled Red Onions INGREDIENTS:
PREPARATION: 1. Thinly slice the onions. You can use a knife, or a mandoline if you have one. 2. Divide the onions between the two mason jars. If you are adding garlic and peppercorns, or jalapenos, you’ll want to add them here now. 3. Heat the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt over medium heat. Stir until the sugar and salt dissolve, about 1 minute. 4. Let the mixture cool slightly, and then pour over the onions. 5. Set the jars aside while they cool to room temperature 6. Once cooled to room temperature, then cover the jars and store the onions in the fridge. Once they are bright pink they are ready to eat. Note: they will keep for up to 2 weeks. Enjoy!
Cheesy Cauliflower Toasts Yield: 6 to 8 servingsINGREDIENTS:
Step 1: Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the cauliflower into ½-inch clusters. Transfer to a sheet pan and toss with the oil, red-pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Spread florets out into a single layer and roast, stirring every 10 minutes, until tender and browned in spots, 25 to 30 minutes. Step 2: Meanwhile, stir ricotta or mascarpone in a large bowl until smooth and fluffy. Mix in Gruyère, nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper and set aside. In a toaster, toast the bread until golden. Step 3: When cauliflower is done, remove from the sheet pan and set aside to cool. Line the pan with foil and reduce the oven to 375 degrees. Step 4: Arrange the toasts on the lined sheet pan. Stir the cauliflower into the ricotta mixture, then divide among the toasts, spreading to the edges. Dust with Parmesan and paprika. (Recipe can be made up to this point and held at room temperature for up to 2 hours.) Step 5 Bake until toast edges and topping are browned, 10 to 15 minutes. (If desired, broil 2 to 3 minutes to brown and melt the top.) Let cool slightly. Sprinkle with herbs, if using, then cut into halves or quarters and serve immediately.   Roasting vegetables to go with a main dish is a super easy way to add a healthy side to any dinner, or to add to some pasta. I love to roast a whole bag of the multi colored carrots, or some onions and butternut squash, or even just throw a bunch of vegetables from the fridge together for a medley. But broccoli is the easiest, and the most frequent one we make. Well, those and Brussels sprouts. You can always add some more flavor to these with some whole garlic cloves, or a little grated parmesan, or with a little spice like an Elote mix. It's fun to mix it up. Enjoy! Roasted Broccoli
INGREDIENTS: 1 - 1 1/2 lbs of broccoli crowns/florets, trimmed into 1 inch pieces 1/4 Cup Olive Oil Salt and pepper to taste 2-3 cloves of garlic , minced Optional: juice of 1/2 lemon for serving PREPARATION: 1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. 2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 3. Place the trimmed broccoli on the parchment paper, drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Use your hand to mix and make sure the broccoli is all well-coated. 4. Bake in a single layer for 15 minutes. It should be lightly browned when it is done. 5. Add garlic, mix, and roast for 2 more minutes. 6. Remove from oven and drizzle with the lemon juice, and serve.  I am always trying to make sure my family is eating healthy. And while the pre-packaged bags of 90 second rice make busy weeknights easier, I worry about the preservatives and plastics involved, especially as the plastic bag gets heated in the microwave. So when I saw this on instagram, I thought I'd give it a try. And it works so well that I'll never go back to the microwave bags. And you know what the bonus is? Making your rice this way is even better for you! Freezing cooked rice lowers its glycemic index (GI). Studies have shown it can reduce its GI by up to 10 points, This happens because of a process called retrogradation, where some of the starch in the rice converts to a more resistant form than is digested more slowly. Easier and healthier all around! Tip: A the beginning of each month, I'll make a rice cooker full of rice just for freezing. I let the rice cool for about 15 minutes before I make my frozen rice packages. To freeze the rice: 1. I use the rice paddle to place a baseball size amount of rice (about 1 cup) onto a piece of plastic wrap. 2. Form the rice into a round shape. 3. Wrap tightly. 4. Repeat with the remaining rice. (My rice cooker is on the small size and makes enought for 6 rice balls at a time.) 5. Freeze for 12 hours or until firm. It will keep for 1 month. To reheat the frozen rice: 1. Remove the plastic wrap. 2. Place frozen rice in a microwave safe bowl. Cover with a wet paper towel. 3. Microwave on high for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes until thoroughly heated. |
AuthorKris Delaney is a marketing executive, foodie, travel enthusiast, and book nerd based in Atlanta, GA. Archives
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