Basil is the leafy goodness of the gods. It’s hands down my favorite herb. I love to slice the fresh leaves into salad and I love to rub the dried yumminess onto a beer can chicken. I will sometimes just snack on fresh leaves as is. Makes my breath all basily fresh! Last summer I grew about 20 basil plants in my garden, but I still found myself buying basil at the farmers market!
At the peak of summer, when it’s just to hot to cook (and yes, we have had a couple of those days this summer) my favorite cold dinner is a lightly salted tomato slices topped with a whole basil leaf, a thin slice of goat cheese and a drizzling of olive oil. I also keep a hunk of crusty bread on hand for soaking up all the juices. Maybe pair that with a robust white wine or a chilled local brew and you’ve got a meal to be envied.
But the undeniable staple that I have to have on hand at all times is pesto. I love to toss it on pasta or spread it on pizza, like any good basil-loving gal. But I also love to mix it up with cooked red potatoes, some diced fresh tomatoes and some of Highland Garden’s smoked chicken. Or spread it on the bread when I make a roast beef sandwich. I always mean to freeze some for winter, but it never quite makes it there… I’ve included my feta pesto recipe here today. This is a great starting point, but feel free to mess around with it. Use different nuts (fattier nuts will make a smoother pesto), roast the garlic first, try it with a chevre or your other favorite cheese. At my blog I’ve posted a recipe for a creamier, lower fat version of pesto that I might actually like better than the traditional kind, but the jury is still out. Check it out at GoodGrub.ButterflyBakeryVT.com. Enjoy!
Feta Pesto
3/4 lb basil
4 medium large cloves of garlic (1.5 oz)
7 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 cup nuts (5 oz)
2 2.5 oz blocks of feta, crumbled
1 1/2 tsp salt
1) Wash the basil, remove the leaves and discard the stems. Peel the garlic a chop each clove into a few pieces.
2) Add the basil, garlic, olive oil, nuts, feta and salt to a food processor* and blend until smooth. Enjoy!
* You can also make this in a bowl with an immersion blender, keeping in mind that the texture will be a little rougher
Claire Fitts is the owner of Butterfly Bakery of Vermont. Find more of her recipes and food tips at her blog at GoodGrub.ButterflyBakeryVT.com. This series can also be found in twice a month in the Montpelier Bridge, your local downtown news source.
