Basil: Use it now, freeze for later or preserve by drying

Created on 10/4/2008

Summer is almost over; the days are getting shorter, the air is cooler and the garden is slowing down. Basil, tomatoes, peppers, okra- all of the heat loving plants will be gone in a few short weeks (maybe days in some places). When the first light frost slinks in at night, the basil will be withered and black by morning. Here in the Midwest, that killing frost can come as early as the second week in October. I will miss running out the back door, grabbing a few handfuls of fresh basil for pesto or Thai basil for a quick vegetable curry. I prefer the fine Greek basil on homemade pizza and ‘Mrs. Burns’ lemon basil is great with fish.

Savor the waning days of summer and abundant basil. Laugh at the first light frost by covering the plants, but know that basil will be the first to succumb to cold weather. Keep snipping leaves for fresh cooking. Try this recipe for Tomato and Basil Quiche to use the last of your basil; you probably have the ingredients on hand.

Pesto is so easy to make anytime when you have an abundance of basil growing in the kitchen garden. This recipe can be varied- add in a sweet green pepper, or a jalapeno pepper for some heat; substitute flat leaved parsley for some of the basil or use toasted pine nuts instead of walnuts.

Sweet Genovese basil is preferred for the best flavor but any of the culinary basils could be used in a pinch. (I wouldn’t recommend the purple basils, but the flavor is supposed to be the same, so why not? Cooking, like gardening, is a grand experiment, anyway. Let me know how it turns out. I once made spaghetti sauce with ‘White Beauty’ tomatoes. The sauce was a pale golden, white color; I then sprinkled chopped purple basil on top. My family wasn’t quite prepared for the shocking color combination.)

Dried basil is wonderful in sauces and stews or sprinkled on pizza or quesadillas. The flavor of freshly dried basil is more intense than that of fresh- great in homemade spaghetti sauce. Drying whole basil leaves in the microwave preserves the color and flavor of fresh basil.


Tomato and Basil Quiche

Crust for a 10” quiche pan
2 tbl. butter
1 small zucchini
4-5 green onions
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Fresh flat leaved parsley- a handful from the garden
Fresh sweet Genovese basil- a handful from the garden
2 paste type tomatoes- from the garden, sliced

Sauté green onion in butter until tender, add zucchini and heat well.

In a large bowl, beat eggs with a fork. Add milk and stir well.

Add grated cheese; stir in zucchini and onions.

Coarsely chop basil and parsley. Stir into egg mixture.

Pour into unbaked pie crust.

Arrange tomato slices on top.

Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until quiche is done.

Serve immediately or cool and serve later.



Pesto - eat some now, freeze some for later

3 cups fresh basil leaves (Sweet Genovese), rinsed well
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (I prefer Greek olive oil, made from Kalamata olives)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup walnuts (or pine nuts)
Juice of half a lemon
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup coarsely grated parmesan cheese

Blend in food processor until smooth. Add in additional olive oil if necessary for a smooth consistency.

Serve immediately or place in an airtight container, label and freeze for up to 3 months.

Use frozen pesto in soups or stews or thaw to serve over pasta. .



Drying fresh basil

Rinse and thoroughly dry fresh whole basil leaves, about 2 cups.

Place a paper towel on a microwavable plate.

Lay whole basil leaves in a single layer on paper towel.

Microwave on high for 1 minute.

Turn plate and microwave at 30 second intervals until basil is dry.

Store leaves in an airtight container until ready to use, then crumble into recipe.