Not quite sure where this summer went, but today it was cool enough to want the windows closed. Time to harvest the wealth of basil still outside and capture some summer souvenirs as consolation for when the weather is truly chilly. According to Wiki, the ancient Egyptians and Greeks believed that basil would open the gates of heaven for people passing on. Makes sense to me. Basil itself is heavenly.
If you don’t have a pot of this miracle in your garden or on your fire escape, you may still be able to pick up a nice fat bunch at the farmer’s market. It’s easy to preserve a bit of heaven (well, you can start with basil and philosophize later over sauce). Wash and dry (as in take a tea towel or salad spinner to get off any excess moisture) a large quantity of basil leaves and process them in a food processor with some extra virgin olive oil. Do this by packing the food processor with the prepared leaves and slowly (with the blade running) drizzle oil into the tube at the top. No need to measure, you want the consistency to be creamy, not too dry but soupy either. Done? Put your simple pesto into an ice cube tray and when it’s fully frozen, store the frozen basil cubes in a well-marked (date it!) bag in the freezer.
You now have passage to heaven! When the weather is truly cold, you can reclaim your basil (thaw it gently) and add it as is to soups or sauces. Or make Genoese Pesto Sauce! Follow the link until I can write again with a recipe tailored for first time pesto makers.
PS - You may have noticed (at least I hope you have) that my entries have been a little sparse lately. I haven’t given up on the blog, but will be making entries a little less frequently for a while. It’s almost a year since I embarked on Kitchen Primer, and I’m way way past 100 entries. I love doing this, but there are many things vying for attention (not the least being Sylvia, the prodigal daughter… Maybe I can get her interested in some pesto making!).
