The Incredibly Versatile Pesto

I like to have a taste of Summer all year long. I am fortunate enough to live in a house with a garden so I have the ability to pick fresh peaches off the tree every August, eat tomatoes off the vine and have fresh herbs from Spring to late Fall.

I can and freeze in order to preserve those brilliant tastes into the bleak winter months. Pesto can be a brilliant burst of flavor that can push even a cold February night away.

There is no one pesto, there are as many recipes as there are Italian women. All of them are good.

Some favor the burst of basil, others are heavy on the garlic, some much more cheesier. There is nothing wrong with any of them. Play, taste, and adjust until it is perfect for you.

In various combinations
Basil
Olive Oil
Cheese
Nuts
Garlic

Pine nuts are traditional, but almonds can be delicious as can walnuts. You can add sun dried tomato, a splash of lemon juice, a hot pepper to give it a boost, but always use a good quality olive oil. Flat olive oil can bring down even the best ingredients.

You can even leave out the basil and make a pesto with Tarragon or Sage. Sage Pesto is great for pastas like gnocchi, and Pumpkin or Mushroom Ravioli. For those of you who have never made a Sage Pesto I include the recipe, but feel free to change it. Play with your food.

• 1 cup raw almonds
  
• 2 cups fresh sage leaves, firmly packed
• 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves (or Tarragon, or basil, they both blend well)
  
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1 head of garlic peeled
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Juice of one lime

Put it in the food processor or blender until it is creamy. Freezes beautifully and in addition to working wonderfully with pasta it is also a great rub for Poultry or Pork. Try rubbing under the skin of a chicken, salt the skin and let rest in the refrigerator on a rack for 24 hours. Rub the skin with olive oil and roast.

If you do not have a garden of your own hit the Farmer's market this weekend. They still have herbs along with the last of the summer vegetables and the first apples of the season.

Finally on Facebook

My Sister-in-Law Libby convinced me to create a page on this site. I alternate between shy and private. The more I am out there, the less I want to be.

When the tomatoes are at their peak in the garden (mine are now) this is an ideal bite to serve with a good wine when you feel like doing little and enjoying your company more.

1 loaf crusty french bread, sliced 1" thick
6-8 ripe tomatoes, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
8 oz whole milk, fresh Mozarella sliced or torn.
Olive oil
Salt
Huge amount of torn basil from the garden

Split the loaf in half and rub with olive oil, sprinkle lightly with salt and broil til it just begins to brown. top with the cheese and chopped tomatoes and broil for about 5 minutes, crush fresh basil into the tomato and melted cheese and cut into pieces and serve.

A great Chianti Classico at cellar temperature would be perfect.

I LOVE summer.

Myrna's Minnesota Minestrone

Most Minnesotans have gardens and lots of vegetables that they grow. Traditionally the vegetables are put in big paper bags and given to everyone they know. Bags of tomatoes and zucchini are brought to offices and neighbors and after a few salads a lot of folks are at a loss as to what to do with them.

Toss 'em in the soup pot, or even a crock pot and make a kick ass soup. After a long day at the State Fair or whatever other summer activity you enjoy it can be so nice to come home to soup, salad and a glass of wine. it is so easy to make this ahead and warm it up. This version does not have rice or pasta, but if you want some, add it. If you have a different mix of veggies that's fine too. If you live in one of those lands of long winter you need to eat those fresh veggies while you can.


1 - 1 cup Great Northern Beans (okay you can use any bean, but you are in the North)
6 ounces salt pork or chunk bacon
10 cups chicken broth (best if you make your own but the truly lazy can use the boxed)
2 onions, chopped
2 celery stalk, chopped (plus the leaves, they add great flavor)
1 carrot, chopped
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 head savoy or curly cabbage, sliced
1 cup of garden green beans halved
3 zucchini, diced
2 carrots, diced
4 cups fresh garden tomatoes
1 pound Italian Sausage browned (Yes you can use Jimmy Dean and it will taste fine, but really how hard can it be to get some hot Italian Sausage?)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Parmesan cheese, grated for garnish
Chopped basil or parsley for garnish

1 Soak beans overnight in cold water. Drain beans, rinse, and place them in a large stockpot or crock pot. Add salt pork which has been chunked and browned and 6 cups of broth. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook gently for about 90 minutes. (overnight in the crock pot)Keep an eye on the beans, if they need more broth add it.

2 Heat oil in a separate large stockpot. Add chopped vegetables (onion, celery, carrot, garlic,) and saute until lightly browned. Add remaining vegetables and tomatoes. Add remaining 5 cups broth. Simmer for 40 to 50 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

3 Remove salt pork from beans. Dice finely. Transfer half of the beans to a food processor or a blender and blend into a paste. Add mashed beans to the vegetables. Add remaining whole beans, broth, and diced pork to vegetables.

4 Simmer 5 minutes longer. Season soup with salt and pepper. Serve with a handful of brown sausage and a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese and the fresh herbs if you have them.

Serves 10-12, easily. (This recipe makes a lot of soup!)

Drunken Pasta for Katie

I apologize for taking so long between posts. I had a visitor from out of town over the weekend and we were quite busy showing him the town. I have some great photos (not taken by me) to share along with some brunch recipes, soon to be posted. In the meantime there is always room for another pasta.

No canned pasta or jarred sauce should ever be used by adults. Pasta with sauces of varying types is one of the easiest meals to make.

Katie posted a request for drunken pasta and I have learned that she does not eat pork (she had a piggie when she was young as a pet) so the traditional Tuscan is out. I lightened up the whole concept for Summer and created this dish. Of course my photos did not turn out well, so I shall wait until I make the dish a second time before posting a photo. This is for 4 appetizer or 2 main portions. (Dear America, you would be a thinner country if you ate more vegetables and less pasta. Try it as a starter.)

1/2 lb bucatelli (bucatini)
1/2 lb of asparagus, in one inch pieces
1 large bunch of basil
1 bottle of white wine
15 cloves of garlic
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg yolk
A good splash of olive oil
Salt

Finely chop all the garlic and set aside. Finely chop all the basil and set aside. Finely grate all the cheese and set aside.

Take a splash of oil and 1/2 the garlic and simmer until the garlic just begins to brown. Toss in the wine with two cups of water add a good dose of salt and bring to a boil. Break pasta in half and put in pan.

Meanwhile simmer the balance of the garlic with the chili until soft.

When the pasta is almost al dente remove and drain saving the liquid. (This will be much less liquid than you traditionally cook pasta in so stir often). Toss the pasta in the hot oil and add a good splash of the wine mixture. Toss in the chopped asparagus. Toss in the basil and cheese and distribute with tongs. Turn off the heat and add the egg yolk stirring through. Plate and top with a a bit of reserved basil.

This will be creamy and delicious and utterly drunken.

Serve with a nice crisp white or rose wine.