Recipes, Photography, Musings

Month: July 2014 (Page 2 of 4)

Fragrant Basil-Parsley Pesto

basil plant A reward of weeding around basil plants is that you get to smell the fresh, spicy scent of the basil leaves while you are weeding.  At least that is what I was thinking as I was weeding and shooing away mosquitoes yesterday.  And one of the best rewards of growing basil is making and eating pesto.  Not only does basil smell wonderful, but it tastes great, especially when mixed with garlic, nuts, and Parmesan cheese.  The pesto recipe I posted below calls for both basil and parsley, bright green herbs with lots of health benefits.  According to www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/266425.php, basil is full of antioxidants, minerals such as magnesium, and vitamins, mainly vitamin A, vitamin K, and vitamin C.  Basil also is known to reduce inflammation and to have antibacterial properties.  Parsley is very beneficial to eat as well.  The website www.nutrition-and-you.com/parsley.html states that parsley is high in minerals like potassium and calcium, and like basil, it has high concentrations of vitamins A, C, and especially K.

pesto in blender Pesto is a great way to get those vitamins and minerals, and it offers variety.  You can mix pesto with pasta for a meal, or you can spread it on crackers for a delicious snack.  The nuts in the pesto add to its nutritional quality too–they add protein and the “good” (unsaturated) fats.  I usually use almonds, but pine nuts are a traditional nut to use, and I have also used walnuts too.  Now that basil is in full swing here, we will be using our blender to mix up batches of pesto!  Pesto freezes well, but to me it tastes best the day it is made.  If you know ahead of time that you are going to freeze it, a fellow food blogger gave me this tip to reduce bitterness when freezing:  Leave out the cheese when you are processing the rest of the ingredients, and freeze the pesto without the cheese.  Then when you defrost/thaw the pesto, add the cheese.

Happy summer eating!       pesto in bowlpesto on cracker

Recipe for Basil-Parsley Pesto

Basil-Parsley Pesto

  • Servings: 4
  • Print

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup firmly packed fresh basil leaves
  • 1/2 cup firmly packed parsley sprigs (either flat or curly parsley) with stems removed
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup almonds, walnuts, or pine nuts
  • 1 large clove garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

In a blender container or food processor bowl, combine the basil leaves, parsley, Parmesan cheese, nuts, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.  Cover and blend or process with several on/off turns, until a paste forms.  When the machine is off, scrape the sides and stir the ingredients before starting again.  Then gradually add the olive oil and keep processing and scraping the sides in between processing, until you reach a smooth consistency.  (It doesn’t have to be completely smooth, but enough so that it is like a sauce or dip).

This amount of pesto can be tossed with 12 ounces of cooked pasta to feed about 4 people, or you can divide it up and use some for a dip or spread.  Store in the refrigerate for 3 to 5 days, or freeze in airtight containers.  Enjoy!

 

 

 

Rambling Black Raspberries and Flavorful Muffins

black raspberries At last, the black raspberry bushes, all in different corners of our yard, are offering up their deep, rich fruit.  We did not plant these bushes, they just came with the territory.  When we first moved here, I thought they were red raspberry bushes, since that was all I had ever seen.  I was confused when I picked a red berry and it tasted sour.  Now I have come to appreciate the dark purple berries, and their subtle, wild flavor.  The photo of the berries in the colander betrays a little bit of impatience on my and my daughter’s part, as a few of the berries are not as dark as they really should be when we picked them.  But since all the fruits and vegetables are so much later than usual this year, we have been waiting a couple extra weeks for our black raspberries to become ripe, and they are now irresistible!  Not only do they taste delicious, but they are loaded with health-boosting antioxidants.black raspberries in colander

I have posted a recipe in the post below for black  raspberry muffins.  This recipe will also work if you use red raspberries.  I like to use the black ones since they are the ones growing in our yard, and it is fun to send my daughter (who loves to forage for berries) out to fill up a cup, while I mix up the batter.  The whole wheat flour and rolled oats make these muffins hardy and filling, while the yogurt and touch of butter and juice make them moist.  The berries, of course, are what make these muffins special and bursting with flavor, especially when they are so fresh and in season.

raspberry muffins on plateraspberry muffin on plate

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