Grow Fresh Basil

If you can – grow fresh basil in your garden. It's cheap and adds a million bucks to most dishes you add it to, and looks great in your garden.

There are as many ways to use pesto as to make pesto. The classic mixture of fresh basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese and olive oil can be enhanced with many flavors. A thick, aromatic sauce, pesto can be used to flavor pastas, soups and sauces. The first step is to get your hands on some fresh basil – expensive enough at the grocer that I grow a half a dozen plants in my garden wherever there is room, amongst the flowers.

Being able to use fresh basil leaves, just a few at a time, is a great advantage of growing your own – I often just want a few leaves for a sandwich or to garnish a pasta dish, or to add to a salad.


Classic Pesto Sauce
¼ cup pine nuts
3-4 cloves garlic
¼ lb Parmesan or Romano cheese
4 cups basil leaves, lightly packed
dash salt
1 cup olive oil

Toast pine nuts carefully over medium heat, in a non-stick skillet, shaking often, just until aromatic.

In a large food processor, process the cheese until very finely ground. Add the garlic and pine nuts and process just until incorporated.


Add the basil, salt and oil and process just until very well blended to a thick consistency.





Sundried Tomato Pesto
¼ cup pine nuts
3-4 cloves garlic
¼ lb Parmesan or Romano cheese
¼ oil-packed sundried tomatoes, drained
4 cups basil leaves, lightly packed
dash salt
1 cup olive oil

Toast pine nuts carefully over medium heat, in a non-stick skillet, shaking often, just until aromatic. In a large food processor, process the cheese until very finely ground. Add the garlic, pine nuts and tomatoes, and process just until incorporated. Add the basil, salt and oil and process just until very well blended to a thick consistency.

Orange Ginger Pesto
¼ cup pine nuts, slightly toasted
3-4 cloves garlic
¼ lb Romano cheese
zest of 1 navel orange
½-inch fresh ginger, sliced
4 cups basil leaves, lightly packed
fruit of 1 navel orange, peeled and cleaned of any extra pith
dash salt
1 cup olive oil

Toast pine nuts carefully over medium heat, in a non-stick skillet, shaking often, just until aromatic. In a large food processor, process the cheese until very finely ground. Add the garlic, pine nuts, ginger and jest, and process just until incorporated. Add the basil, salt orange flesh, and oil and process just until very well blended to a thick consistency.

Farfalle Primavera with Orange Ginger Pesto
1 lb farfalle pasta
1 red pepper, thin;ly sliced
1 green epper, thinly sliced
¼ cup shredded carrot
4 baby zucchini, quartered lengthwise
4 baby yellow squash, quartered lengthwise
2 Tbsp orange and ginger pesto sauce

Cook farfalle al dente according to package directions. Meanwhile, sauté vegetables in a non-stick skillet until softened and slightly browned. Toss vegetables with drained farfalle pasta and the pesto.

You can certainly use small zucchini and squash, cut into matchsticks, if you don’t have baby squash available.

Creamy Basil Ricotta Sauce
1 clove garlic
2 cups Ricotta cheese
½ cup half-and-half
2 dozen fresh basil leaves
2 Tbsp. fresh chives
Dash red pepper flakes (to taste)

Process garlic in food processor until finely minced. Add remaining ingredients until well blended, stopping to scrape sides once or twice. Great served over pasta!


Pear, Tomato and Basil Salad
2 ripe pears, sliced
2 ripe tomatoes, sliced
¼ lb creamy blue cheese (Danish or Roquefort), thinly sliced
6 fresh basil leaves cut in chiffonade
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Arrange the pears, tomatoes, basil and cheese in layers. Sprinkle with vinegar and oil. Salt and pepper to taste.