Summer Treats - Basil

Basil is one of summer's treats. Whether you grow it in your garden, get it from your friend at work, or buy it at the farmer's market, it is plentiful during those months.  It is very versatile, and  it goes wonderfully with summer's fresh garden tomatoes.  The example that comes immediately to mind is Insalata Caprese, a very simple, very tasty combination of tomato slices, fresh mozarella, basil, olive oil and a little salt and pepper.  This beautiful salad is very appropriately the colors of the Italian flag.


Another of my favorite uses for basil, and one of the most traditional, is Pesto.  I like it in soups, salads, sandwiches, or pasta dishes (maybe a simple lasagna with bechamel and shredded mozzarella), but those are just a few of the many ways it can be used. It would be hard to find a Pesto recipe that didn't give good results -- look in any Italian cookbook and find a recipe and it will be pretty much the same as every other recipe you find.  This Classic Basil Pesto Recipe is one of several I found in my favorite cooking magazine, Fine Cooking. It can be made by hand with a mortar and pestle, as illustrated by my photograph here, or it can be made with a lot less work using a food processor like I really did before putting it into the mortar for the photograph.

I like Basil Pesto in soups, salads, sandwiches, and pasta dishes but those are just a few of the many ways it can be used. The batch here went into a very simple lasagna.  I made it with enough lasagna noodles to make three layers in the baking dish, the basil pesto, shredded fresh mozzarella, and a bechamel with just a touch of nutmeg. There's not really a recipe, but I spread a layer of bechamel in the dish, then put layers of lasagna, pesto, mozarella, and bechamel twice. I finished with a third layer of lasagna covered by bechamel and a sprinkling of Parmigiano-Reggiano, and baked it at 350° until bubbly and browned.

No meat, no tomatoes, no ricotta, although you could put some cooked Italian sausage or chopped drained tomatoes  or both, in the layers and it would be great. 

Kathy and I liked it just fine, though, as shown above, and served with a green salad and a nice pinot noir. (Click on the picture to take a closer look - yum!)