Basil Pesto

Fresh basil in the garden.  So much rain this spring 

allowed for an early crop.

Wash all the picked basil in a large basin.

Drain washed basil on a dish towel.

Add garlic and olive oil to food processor.

Add half the basil to food processor.

Add remaining basil and olive oil.

before it is completely smooth check to see it is not too dry

if it is, add more olive oil.

Add pine nuts.

Add both pecorino romano and 

parmigianno reggiano.

Add pesto to ice cube tray for freezing.

or if you don't have an old ice cube tray, 

divide into small containers, in single portion servings.

Pop out frozen pesto from the tray and containers.

Put frozen cubes into a freezer Ziploc for future use.

As Always, 

ENJOY!

Source: Perfect Pasta by Valentina Harris

INGREDIENTS

4 oz. fresh basil leaves

1 Tbsp. pine nuts

2 cloves garlic

3 Tbsp. Parmegianno Reggiano cheese

3 Tbsp. Pecorino Romano cheese

5 Tbsp. olive oil

pinch of salt

   Since I had such an unusually large crop of spring basil, I doubled the recipe, shown in all the photos above.  

   I received this book as a gift when I was in college.  I have been making this recipe for so many years, I usually eyeball all the quantities as I put them in the food processor.  Having exact quantities, as I have given above, will help any beginners in the pesto making.

  Collect all your basil from the garden, by cutting whole stems from the plants.  I collect them straight into a large plastic basin.  Place the basin in your kitchen sink and fill with cool water, to thoroughly wash all the basil.

    Pick just the leaves off the stems and collect on a dish towel where they can drain off excess water. 

   Place peeled garlic cloves and half the olive oil into the bowl of a food processor.  Give it a few pulses to chop up the garlic.  Add half the basil, and pulse a few more times.  Add the remaining basil and remaining olive oil and pulse a few more times.  Before it has thoroughly come together as a paste, check that it is not too dry.  If it seems dry add a 1-2 Tbsp. of olive oil.  Give it another quick pulse. 

   Now add your pine nuts and pulse and then your cheeses and pulse, plus a pinch of salt.  The cheeses will already be adding salt to the paste, so don't add too much. 

   Once the pesto has made a nice homogeneous paste, scoop small spoonfuls into ice cube trays or small containers in single servings.  Place in the freezer until completely hardened. 

   Remove frozen pesto from containers and place in freezer Ziploc bags.  

Your pesto is now ready for use with any pasta dish, or minestrone soup. Be creative and add it to sauces or marinades.

Artichoke, Olive and Sun-dried Tomato Quiche

Looks beautiful inside with the green and red color 

from the olives, basil and sun-dried tomatoes.

Hot out of the oven, puffed and browned perfectly!

A really easy vegetarian dish, but wonderfully delicious for 

breakfast, lunch or dinner, no matter if you are 

vegetarian or not.

As Always,

ENJOY!

Source: Dinner Pies by Ken Haedrich

1 recipe pie dough for a 9 1/2-10 inch tart pan

FILLING

2 1/2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves minced

1 1/2 cups drained and quartered canned artichoke hearts

1/2 cup pitted and coarsely chopped olives

1/2 cup chopped oil packed sun-dried tomatoes

4 large eggs

1 1/4 cups half-and-half

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 1/2 Tbsp. all purpose flour

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil

    Prepare pastry dough and refrigerate until ready for use.

    Roll out dough to a 13 inch circle. Fit the pastry into the tart pan, being careful not to stretch the 

dough as you work it into the edges.  Refrigerate the shell for 1 hour before prebaking.  I prefer to freeze the shell, so no pie weights are needed during the prebaking. (Pre-bake at 375 for 25 min.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

   Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until soft and light golden, 12-15 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool briefly.

   Spread the onions evenly in the tart shell.  Scatter the artichoke hearts, olive, and sun-dried tomatoes over them. 

   Whisk the eggs in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the half-and-half and heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, flour, basil, 3/4 tsp. salt and ground black pepper to taste.  Carefully pour or ladle the custard into the shell.

   Bake the quiche on the center oven rack until golden brown and puffy, 35 to 45 minutes.  Cool for at least 30 minutes before serving. 

Salted Butter Caramel-Chocolate Mousse

The perfect do ahead dessert!

This mousse needs to be refrigerated at least 8 hours

before serving.  The beauty in that, is that, it is the perfect

dessert for a dinner party that you can 

make the day before the party. 

Top with whipped cream and candied nuts or 

nut brittle as I have done here.

As Always,

ENJOY!

Source: My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz

INGREDIENTS

1. • 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
   • 3 tablespoons salted butter, cubed
   • 3/4 cup (180ml) heavy cream
   • 6 ounces (170g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
   • 4 large eggs, separated
   • Rounded 1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt, preferably fleur de sel

PREPARATION

1. 1. 1. Spread the sugar evenly over the bottom of a wide saucepan. Heat the sugar over medium heat. As it begins to liquefy at the edges, use a heatproof spatula to very gently drag the liquefied sugar toward the center. Watch carefully, as once the edges start to darken, the sugar is in danger of burning. Continue to cook, stirring very gently, until all the sugar is melted and begins to caramelize.
   2. 2. When the caramel is a deep amber color and starts to smoke, wait for a moment for it to smell just slightly burnt, then remove it from the heat and quickly whisk the butter, stirring until melted. Gradually whisk in the cream and stir until the little bits of caramel are completely melted. (A few can be stubborn, so be patient. You can strain the mixture if they simply refuse to budge.)
   3. 3. Once smooth, add the chocolate, stirring gently until it's melted and smooth. Scrape the mixture into a large bowl and let it cool to room temperature. Once it's no longer warm, whisk in the egg yolks.
   4. 4. In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites until stiff. Fold one-third of the whipped whites into the chocolate mixture, sprinkling in the flaky salt. Fold in the remaining beaten egg whites just until no streaks of white remain. Divide the mousse into 8 serving glasses, or transfer it to a decorative serving bowl, and chill for at least 8 hours. 

Best Beer Brownie

Amazingly light, not cakey and dry, but chocolatey melting

goodness in your mouth.

So surprisingly delicious. with a lush texture!

Source: Jackie Dodd (ehow contributor)

As Always,

ENJOY!

• 6 weight ounce dark chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup stout beer
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl whisk together the melted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until well combined.

One at a time add the eggs, whisking until well combined before adding another (whisk more than you think necessary).

Add the chocolate and the beer to the top of a double boiler. Stir over medium heat until the chocolate is melted and well combined with the beer.

Add the chocolate to the butter mixture, whisk until well combined.

Add the flour, salt and cocoa powder to the bowl, stir until just combined.

Pour into an 8 X 8 pan that has been lined with parchment paper or sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 22 to 25 minutes (do not over-bake) or until the brownies do not jiggle when the pan is shaken and a tooth pick inserted into the center returns with moist crumbs attached (but not raw batter).

Allow to cool completely before cutting. This may take several hours. Brownies will be soft and fudgy. Brownies are best the day after being made.

Blackberry and Apple Pie

Another show stopper!

The colors are so beautiful and vibrant, and the 

taste is an exceptionally delicious combination.

The tad bit of cardamom added to the fruit gives it 

the most wonderful floral aroma. Combined with the scent 

of the berries and apples, you just won't be able 

to resist digging in to a slice.

Hot out of the oven,
with beautifully browned edges and
demerara sugar.

As Always,

ENJOY!

Source: Back In The Day by Cheryl Day and Griffith Day

INGREDIENTS

1 recipe flake pie crust dough for a double crust 9" pie

2 1/2 cups blackberries

2 tsp grated lemon zest

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 Tbs. cornstarch

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1/4 tsp. ground cardamom

2 1/2 lbs. apples, cored, peeled, and sliced

1 large egg, beaten with salt for egg wash

Coarse sugar for sprinkling

DIRECTIONS

Prepare pie dough and refrigerate until ready to use. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees 

Gently toss the blackberries with the sugar, lemon juice, zest, cornstarch, salt and cardamom. Set aside for 15 minutes. Then toss the apples with the blackberry mixture.

To assemble the pie: roll out one disk of pie dough, then fit into the 9" pie pan. Fill the pie shell with the fruit mixture. Brush the edges with egg wash.

Roll out the second pie dough. Cover the top of the pie. Trim and crimp the edges.  Cut a few slits in the top for steam vents.

Brush the top of pie with the egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar. 

Bake the pie for 15 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees and continue baking for 

45-50 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling.  Cool for 2-3 hours.