Thirsty Thursday: Cooling Off

It continues to be crazy here in the District, so today I will let these lovely photos do most of the talking (1 picture = 1000 words, right?). What do you get when smashed peaches and basil meet? Heaven in a glass, for sure. My one tidbit, which you can now google to your heart's content, is the distinction between types of fleshy fruit. In fact, there are two basic kinds: the berries and the drupes. Now, we all kinda know what a berry is - multiple seeds, surround by the flesh (just fyi that you are eating a plant ovary...). So, an eggplant or a kiwi are considered berries. On the other hand, drupes have flesh around one, hard seed or pit, say a peach or plum. Don't let this drupiness get you blue, but rather rejoice in the very seasonal-ness of this tasty breakfast concoction. Put up your feet and enjoy!

Peach Basil Cooler

2 small, very ripe peaches, quartered

4-6 leaves basil

1/2 cup cool hibiscus tea

1/2 cup spinach leaves (optional)

Dash lemon juice (optional)

Blend away and serve. I'm on Raw Food Thursdays, Wellness Weekends, and Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays this time around!

Fifty Second Friday: Pistachio Pesto

I wouldn't say I have a basil problem; that would imply a certain negative quality. But this time of year, if harvested correctly, the basil plants go crazy. And while you could make endless caprese salads, really the only reasonable use of large quantities of this herb is pesto. Stemming from the Italian pestare meaning to crush, modern pesto is a dish of ground basil, garlic, pine nuts, and olive oil (sometimes cheese) originating from Genoa. According the ever reliable source, Wikipedia, pesto ancestors and basil actually came from different places. The former dates back to ancient Roman times when made with "herbs", whereas the latter immigrated from India (first tomatoes and now basil?)...

Now, most of you have eaten pesto, whether tossed with pasta or spread on some thinly sliced zukes. However, one of the key ingredients, those tasty pignoli, are quite pricey. Saving a few bucks on the nuts, I utilized some extra pistachio (which as also extraordinarily popular in Italy and yet from Asia). Since this is only supposed to take 50 seconds (to read, not write...), visit this previous post for a recipe to follow!

Try this with Choosing Raw's Millet Pesto Summer Salad. Hope to be more on top of things in a few weeks!

What's...um...Not Cooking? Tomatoes Please

I can't imagine why people shy away from heirloom tomatoes. Ok, so perhaps many of them look a little malformed, or diseased. But to me they are beautiful; each one is unique; each shape has its own story.

More importantly, these ugly tomatoes taste delicious. Recent research has shown that the uniform, red(dish), and firm tomatoes found year-round on grocery shelves are actually genetically inferior in taste! There are also a couple of other factors that could influence the taste of these heritage fruits. Heirlooms tend not to transport well, so they are most often produced locally and picked when ripe!

There is also a greater variety of colors, sizes, and flavors to be found among the heirlooms varieties. In fact, thousands of varieties of tomatoes exist, though we rarely see more than one or two in the produce department. And each one has its own character and charm. I'm currently attempting to grow some Sungold cherry tomatoes, Valencia, and a couple of others, so stay tuned to see how these turn out!

Ugly Tomato Salad 
1 large heirloom tomato, or a couple smaller
1/2 ear sweet corn
3 basil leaves
Sea salt to taste
Dash of good olive oil (optional)

1. Super easy. Slice tomato. Shave off the corn from the cob. Chop the basil. Sprinkle with salt (and maybe oil). Toss. Enjoy!

Check out other summer goodies on Wellness Weekends (barely squeaking in this time!)

Heirlooms in the Garden

An heirloom can be defined as "something of special value handed on from one generation to another." Many of us are in possession of an item of this sort, such as a piece of jewelry or dinnerware. The same principle can be applied to seed varieties, pass down over the course of centuries, from generation to generation. And like your grandmother's ring, the seed passed down reflects the conditions under which it was developed (though, you also end up with a greater diversity of crops, while one ring tends to remain a single ring). Heirloom vegetables and fruits harken back to a day prior to the industrialized methods of farming that reward uniformity, and if any of you have seen those ugly heirloom tomatoes, you know what I mean!

I can't seem to stop writing about peaches and tomatoes, can I? Perhaps that is because they are so flavorful and wonderful at the moment. Perhaps that is due to the large quantities of the two fruits I have been consuming. Either way, it is always nice to incorporate in a new flavor or two to change things up.

Well, A Couple Cooks recently posted a delicious recipe for an heirloom tomato and peach salad! Very summery - refreshing and nourishing. The photo gracing the blog emphasizes how the deep red of the tomatoes contrasts nicely with the vibrant yellow flesh of the peaches and makes the green of the mint pop (and the couple themselves make a pair of beautiful bloggers!)

Though a really simple and quick recipe, I made a few changes to suit my mood and herbs on-hand:

1 heirloom tomato

1 large peach

3-4 leaves basil

dash of white balsamic vinegar

pinch of fleur de sel or sea salt

Five days more to Portland!

How NOT to Make Pesto

Tonight's post started in a very different place than it's ending. I was going to regale you with kitchen garden history today, which I am sure is fascinating. Then we were going to talk about what's growing on my back porch - basil, oregano, lemon thyme, mint - despite the lack of space and sunlight (photos are deceptively sunny).

I had some tasty herby evening cooking planned - caprese salad (minus the mozzarella), basil pesto, and a tofu lemon thyme souffle...I never made it to the souffle. And here we come to my cautionary kitchen tale, a warning to all users of hand blenders.

I won't go into the gruesome details, but suffice it to say my finger ended up in an intimate relationship with some sharp blades. After screaming my head off for two minutes, applying pressure to the mauled index finger, and calling 911, I spent the next three hours checking things off my list of first-time activities. First ride in an ambulance, first visit to the hospital (aside from being born) for my own medical needs, first stitches. The evening was not quite as relaxing and restful (nor productive) as expected, but it could have been much worse. Hospital traffic was surprisingly light, the doctor and nurse were very nice, and I watched a good portion of Anchor Man.

So the moral of my story is simple: don't put your finger in an immersion blender while plugged in. For those of us who spend a good amount of time in the kitchen and have come to feel overly comfortable and confident, some times we need a jarring wake-up call to bring back the realities of kitchen safety. Blades are sharp; ovens are hot; food can spoil; and when a kitchen junkie's judgement grows lax, she may count her lucky stars to escape with a few deep lacerations (and four stitches) rather than one finger short.

It's been a long evening, so I will live you with that thought to mull over (and comment on).

Produce of the Week: Basilico

You might be thinking - "basil isn't in season, especially not in the great (but often chilly and grey) Pacific Northwest." Well, you can think that all you want, but that is not going to change the fact that there is a basil plant (actually five) growing in my backyard at this very moment. If that is not local and seasonal, I am not sure what is.

While appearing in Asian varieties such as Thai and Lemon basils, this tender herb is most well-known for its starring role in many Italian dishes. It is high in antioxidants, possesses antibacterial properties, and traditionally has been used to treat maladies related to stress and asthma. And of course, there are the many culinary traditions to which basil adds flavor and color.

Basil is my go-to herb. Usually I resort to the dried variety: it's available year-round, it packs a punch with more concentrated flavor, and can be steeped in stews and sauces. Oh, but fresh basil is heavenly!

Classic Pesto Genovese (with carrot linguine)

1 large bunch of basil

2-3 medium cloves of basil

couple of tbs of pine nuts

salt to taste

olive oil to create desired consistency

1. Food process all ingredients until smooth-ish. That's it!

2. My mother has this fantastic method of freezing pesto in ice cube trays to use for later. You just grab one or two little 'uns, heat it up with a tad bit of olive oil, and then coat your favorite pasta! Note: traditional pesto has a hard cheese like parmesan, but don't freeze it like this!

Carrot Linguine

1. Use a peeler to strip a few large carrots clean to the ribs.

2. Dump the carrot strands in a skillet with a bit of oil and water until starting to get tender.

3. Toss with the pesto or a roasted tomato marinara...mmm...

My Favorite Basil Recipes:

• I love Ratatouille, the classic Provencal courgette et tomate dish can be light and baked, stewy, or in the Smitten Kitchen, a lovely tart! My stint on the Italian farm was filled with pomodori, zucchini, e basilico - the perfect ratatouille, the perfect August repast.
• In the heat of summer, toast up some crusty italian bread drizzled in olive oil and layer a slice of garden-fresh tomato and a leaf of basil for delicious Caprese salad.
• Good marinara requires basil, either fresh added at the end or dried allowed to simmer (and there are plenty of good gnocchi recipes without eggs).
• Of course, a good white bean soup is always a nice addition to a meal (Fat Free Vegan Blog has many delightful recipes with basil!)

And if you plan on retaining your own basil plants, keep in mind that they repel many pesky insects and aid in the growth (and flavor development) of tomatoes - who would've guessed?