Basil Cherry Tomatoes

I started life as someone who did not like tomatoes and ended up quite the fan. I eat at least a pint of cherry tomatoes a week, mostly in my lunch salads. They are so convenient and when I add them to the salad I take for lunch to work every day I know they won't get all watery on my afternoon meal. When they are especially abundant I like to cook them up as a side dish for anything I might be grilling for the evening. My preferred method is a 'recipe' I picked up from my good friend Gary. Gary probably got it from the doyenne of roasting, Barbara Kafka and it became a staple in both our daily fares. Barbara has an easy method for roasting. No matter what it is, roast it at 500 degrees. Whether it is your Thanksgiving turkey, pork tenderloin or veggies, foat it at 500 degrees. Any less and you are just steaming your food and missing out on all that roasting has to offer.

Back to the cherry tomatoes:

2 pints cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes
2 TBS Olive Oil
Garlic Salt
Salt
Pepper
2 TBS fresh basil, cut into a chiffonade

Put the cherry tomatoes in a heavy roasting pan with the olive oil and shake to cover tomatoes. Liberally season tomatoes with garlic salt, salt, and pepper and shake again to distribute. Put tomatoes in oven and keep an eye on them until they cook through and 'burst', about 10 minutes. if tomatoes start to brown, shake the pan until desired doneness is achieved. i like to pull them out JUST as they start to brown but if they go brown, they are still going to be quite tasty! Add basil and mix to distribute then serve.

Cherry Tomato Tarts for Lunch

The picture doesn't do these justice. Inspired by two boxes of cherry tomatoes in last week's Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) box and the discovery of two mini-tart pans in our semi-annual weekend garage cleanout, I set out to make a savory tart for lunch. As good as these were, I have to say that I defintiely traded some 'specialness' for 'ease' with this recipe adapted from Cook's Illustrated. I used a frozen pie crust when a home made buttermilk or buttermilk/herb crust would have been much better. The mustard was a bit strong for the effect here as well and needed to be countered with something else. Not sure what though. Perhaps more of a dairy base for the tart than just a cheese? I added Bulgarian Feta to the mozzarella for flavor and that was a good move. Or perhaps its just that cherry tomatoes, halved, didn't provide as much 'flesh' as sliced tomatoes spiraled in a tart would have. These weren't bad, but I know I can do better! Hopefully we'll be getting more tomatoes!

P.S. Be sure to sprinkle the fresh basil on the tart AFTER you cook it. Duh. I can't believe I forgot about that.

White Bean and Pesto Dip

Somewhat inpired by Michelle's hummus dip but with no chickpeas and no tahini on hand and a bunch of pesto left over from last week's CSA basil-fest, I set out to make some white bean and pesto dip to go with the potato chips I shouldn't have in my cupboard but I do. Here is the result, all ready in a to-go container to go to a pot luck this evening:

White Bean and Pesto Dip:

• 1 can white beans, rinsed
• Olive oil to desired consistency
• 1/2 cup pesto
• 4 TBS lemon juice
• Pepper to taste
• Walnuts and lemon zest for garnish.

Puree white beans in food processor with a little bit of the olive oil to get get it going. Add pesto and pulse processor. Add more olive oil if necessary being careful not to over process. Add lemon juice and pepper to taste. Garnish with crushed walnuts and lemon zest.

Things to do with Basil.

Basil is abundant now. We all know that means pesto time. Pesto is a cook's way of preserving the goodness of basil for use at a later time. As long as you have a food processor there is never a reason to let any pesto go to waste. Gillian and Caitie made pesto as did I when we were fortunate enough to get it in our CSA box. That very same week my good friend Cindy made pesto and blogged about it and kindly revealed her secret pesto ingredient, lemon juice. I scoffed at first because, like all cooks, I thought nobody could beat my pesto recipe but Cindy was right. In the blind taste test it was the addition of just a bit of lemon juice that took my recipe to a new height.

I was lucky enough to get two bundles with my CSA because somebody put a bunch in the exchange basket. I snapped it up! With most of it I made pesto (of course) because I needed a cup of it for a Pasta Pesto and Peas salad I had on the menu for a family picnic last weekend. Like most of my "secret recipes" this one was Ina Garten's first and it has become a 'go to' recipe for me for picnics and potlucks year after year. I had plenty of pesto left over so in addition to using it on some broiled tomatoes I used some for a pizza sauce when I had to find a way to use up the rest of last week's basket!

I don't think that there is anything that isn't made better with a little pesto on it. This past week pesto found its way onto grilled and roasted veggies, into a turkey sandwich, and even into a salad dressing. Fresh basil itself, however, is just as easy to use on its own. In fact, the many Persians I know eat it just as is, fresh, as a palatte cleanser with other fresh herbs like tarragon. Its actually quite good. I was at a party at my friend Meshia's house and look what she did with fresh basil: Mini caprese salads! They were so pretty on the platter that I had to take a picture of them.

Just thread the marinaided mozzarella balls on a toothpick with a basil leaf and a cherry tomato. Serve with a dipping sauce of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. How easy is that? Have a few sprigs left? I made a simple syrup with lemon zest and a handful of basil leaves for these lemon basil cakes. In fact, the syrup is now in my refridgerator begging to be used for some new invention. Any ideas?

Lemon Cakes with Lemon Basil Syrup:

For cakes:
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened, plus 1 1/2 tablespoons, melted
3/4 cup matzo cake flour plus additional for dusting
2/3 cup plus 1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, separated, at room temperature for 30 minutes
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

For syrup:
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1 (4- by 1-inch) strip fresh lemon zest
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
8 large fresh basil sprigs For whipped cream
1 cup chilled heavy cream

Make cakes:Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly brush 8 muffin cups with some of melted butter and chill 2 minutes, then butter again and chill 1 minute more. Dust cups with matzo cake flour, knocking out excess.
Beat together softened butter, 2/3 cup sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, then add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating until well blended. Beat in lemon juice and 2 teaspoons zest until combined. Add flour and mix at low speed until just combined.

Beat whites with remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt in another bowl with cleaned beaters until they hold soft peaks. Add 2 tablespoons sugar, a little at a time, beating, then beat until whites just hold stiff peaks. Stir one fourth of whites into yolk mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly. Spoon batter into 8 prepared muffin cups.
Blend remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon zest with your fingertips and sprinkle over batter, then bake until cakes are puffed, edges are golden, and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool cakes in pan on a rack 15 minutes, then lift out cakes carefully (tops will break easily) and cool completely on rack.

Make syrup:Bring all syrup ingredients to a boil, covered, in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, then remove lid and boil 10 minutes. Pour syrup through a sieve into a bowl, pressing on and then discarding solids. Cool to room temperature. Syrup can be made ahead of time and stored in the refridgerator.

Assemble dessert:Beat cream in a bowl with cleaned beaters until it just holds stiff peaks.
Spoon 1/4 cup syrup into each of 8 shallow bowls and top with cakes. Spoon whipped cream on top of cakes.

Will we get any more basil this week?

Beautiful Basil

When our CSA boxes came last week, I had a hard time extracting my nose from the sweet, pungent basil bouquet we received. It was big enough to cradle like an armful of beauty pageant roses, and cradle it I did...briefly. Then I got to work on making some delicious pesto with both basil and arugula.

Basil Arugula Pesto

I like to do all of this in my Cuisinart in the interest of time. All the pesto can be done to taste, depending on what you want to pair it with. A dipping sauce might be a little lighter whereas the pesto I like to use for my pasta and chicken has a bit of heat from the garlic and arugula.

2 cloves of garlic
1 tsp sea salt
1 cup lightly packed basil leaves plus 5-6 arugula leaves
¼ cup + lightly toasted pine nuts
¼ cup + freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano
½ cup good tasting olive oil

Combine garlic and salt in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the basil and pine nuts and pulse until finely minced, then add the parmesan and do the same. Use your spatula and scrape all the goodies off the side of the bowl before adding the olive oil. While the blade is moving, slowly pour in the olive oil and just run the food processor until the pesto is to your desired consistency.

Pesto Pasta

Prepare your pasta to al dente and reserve some of your pasta water (a ½ cup or so). Put your strained pasta back in the pot and pour in your reserved pasta water. This will keep the noodles from sticking. Add in ¾ c to a cup of your fresh pesto and toss the pasta.

I grilled chicken breasts, cut them up and then finished them on the stove with a little pesto as well.


I topped the fettuccini and pesto chicken with some of those beautiful little tomatoes from our CSA shares. Voila!