“Knowledge is knowing a
tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is
not putting it in a fruit salad”
– Miles Kington
The summer abundance is upon us! There is nothing better than picking fresh and using the bounty of a garden this time of year. Basil, tomatoes, garlic, onions, cucumbers, herbs and more just spilling out everywhere! The basil took off like a rocket this year and the best way to get ahead of it is pesto!!
Every year we make fresh pesto, and freeze a ton of it in baggies in a quantity for a perfect pesto pasta dinner for two. There are lots of interesting twists to a fresh pesto and of course I have my own like one would expect, right? My “secret” ingredients are sunflower seeds instead of pine nuts, and most definitely never make pesto that does not include raisins! That sweetness with the garlic is amazing.
A quick and easy pesto starts with a good fistful of fresh picked basil leaves; don’t skimp – it is all green goodness. In a small blender or food processor put in the basil, around a quarter cup of good olive oil, 1.5 tablespoons of roasted salted sunflower seeds, 1.5 tablespoons of fresh raisins, salt and pepper and, of course, generous quantities of fresh garlic … maybe 4-6 nice cloves. Puree it all smooth. I prefer to add generous grated Parmesan on the pasta when served rather than add it to the pesto. Choice is yours; cheese doesn’t freeze as well so I started adding it when eating.
This is one of my favorite summer dinners. I have it ready, make my pasta, and drain the noodles and put them right back in the hot pan and immediately stir in the pesto. If you need to add a little olive oil, feel free. A nice colorful tip is to slice a handful of cherry tomatoes in half and stir in before serving. If you need protein, grilled sliced boneless chicken thighs set on top makes it a meal for Instagram!
Of course summer is never complete without BLTs right? The key to a great BLT is thick sliced plump red-off-the-vine tomatoes. But also, don’t skimp like your Mom did on the bacon. The bacon should be stacked in there too! My twist on the BLT is adding a favorite slab of cheese, or if you want to go crazy and impress the neighbors, add a slice of apple in there too. BLTAC!
I love a good hearty 12 grain bread or some other really good bread lightly toasted for my BLTs but the bread thing is harder for a lot of people. So with that in mind, I created a couple different approaches to the classic sammich. One simple twist is simply make BLT tacos. Flour tortilla with bacon, lettuce, sliced tomatoes, a spread of mayo, and boom.
Another veggie variation I did just this week … in a small bowl I chopped a couple fresh picked roma tomatoes, and added a handful of diced cucumber which are everywhere these days! Next I added some mayo and honey mustard and stirred it up. I then chopped up my bacon, and wrapped it all in a fresh romaine lettuce leaf, sort of like a taco shell. No bread, no gluten, no carbs, just pure summer goodness, tangy tart and salty!
And lastly this past week I couldn’t resist all the garlic, basil, and tomatoes and so I did a riff on a classic Italian dish Spaghetti Alla Carrittiera. Carrittiera refers to the cart drivers that make easy- to-impress, and easy-to-make pasta meals for people on the streets of Italy. Any pasta shape works well.
As a serving for two, chop a plump nearly softball size fresh picked tomato. Next, chop a healthy handful of basil, maybe 10-12 leaves. Mince four cloves of fresh peeled garlic. With the pasta nearly ready, simmer the garlic in a healthy amount of olive oil and add a fresh picked herb mix of finely chopped sage, rosemary, oregano, and thyme. Lastly, add a little salt and coarse black pepper.
On medium heat, add the tomatoes and fresh basil to the hot pan of herbs and garlic. It is not really cooking but basically it is heating fast on high so it gets served hot not cooked. Strain the pasta and pour the yummy sauce over the pasta. Serve in large shallow bowls/plates and add a generous handful of fresh feta or parmesan or go wild and do both!
Summer is spilling all around us. Go grab your share of it and make something amazing,
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