BASIL

FARMWIFE PESTO
...Have to title it such, gourmet cook, I am not…
Pour about 1 C olive oil (no substitutes) into a blender. Add 6- 8 cloves peeled garlic, 1 t salt, 1/2 C walnuts (or pinion nuts if possible.) Have ready, basil leaves stripped from the stems (no need to wash, it's organic, plus we have had several "cleansing" showers.) Blend the garlic, oil, salt, nuts. Slowly add basil leaves. I use the opening at the top of blender lid, works great!! So keep adding basil leaves slowly until you have a thick rich green sauce. There are many variations of this recipe. Many cooks add Parmesan cheese at this point too. I don't, I do it in a recipe or at the table. It is up to you. I often do not have a large quantity of nuts or cheese at one time when I am making a lot of batches. This pesto freezes so nicely. Pour into small containers (baby food jars/plastic yogurt cups) and freeze. It thaws quickly if container is submerged in really hot water. Keeps really long in fridge too. Great for gifts to your favorite cook. Can be used on pasta, garlic bread, toast, crackers, and pizza.


RAMATUELLE PASTA SAUCE
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1/3 C chopped onion
1 C fresh packed basil leaves
5-6 large ripe tomatoes, quartered
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt to taste
1/4 t black pepper
1/2 C parmesan cheese
1 lb pasta

Put garlic, onions, basil, and tomatoes in blender or food processor. Add the olive oil, salt and pepper and blend until smooth. Set aside. Sauce is best served at room temperature. Cook and drain the pasta and toss with some of the sauce. Add cheese at the table to taste. serves 4. From New Recipes from Moosewood Restaurant.

BASIL CREPES WITH
CHICKEN OR VEGETABLES
Recipe submitted by Palmyra member Barbara A. Miller

4-6 T olive oil
2 lbs boneless chicken in bite size pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 C chopped parsley
3/4 C chopped spring onions
2-3 T lemon juice
salt and pepper

Stir-fry all ingredients. Add lemon juice and seasonings.

Crepes:
3 eggs
1/2 C milk
1/2 C water
3/4 C flour
1/2 t salt
3 T basil puree (1/2 C basil Leaves with 3 T olive oil in blender)

Combine eggs, milk, water then gradually whisk in flour and finally basil puree. Refrigerate batter for 1-2 hours. Heat small amount of butter in 6-7' frying pan. When pan is hot, pour in enough batter to cover bottom of pan. Flip when lightly browned.

Barbara notes she sometimes omits the chicken and uses all sorts of sautéed vegetables.

VEGETABLE FRITTATA
Courtesy of Will Brownback

Cook until tender: 10 small potatoes, diced (cover with water and boil 10 min. or so), drain 1 bunch green chard, stems removed, finely chopped (steam with 1/2 c. water for 8 min. or so), drain Whisk: 8 whole eggs or 10 eggs whites, 5 cloves minced garlic, 1 t. salt, 1/2 c. chopped fresh basil, 3/4 t. black pepper, with 2/3 c. milk Stir the cooked potatoes and chard into the egg mixture. In large, oven-proof skillet, heat 2 T. oil, then add the potato-egg mix. Cover, reduce heat to very low, and cook for 12 min. Sprinkle with 1 C. grated parmesan cheese and place the uncovered skillet beneath a preheated broiler. Broil for 4 min. or until light brown and serve!