Cooking with Herbs: Pesto, Pesto, Pesto!

With basil production booming, Dianne shares her pesto recipe:

2 cups basil leaves packed

4 cloves garlic

½ cup walnuts*

¾ cup Parmesan or similar grated hard Italian cheese

½ cup EVOO

pepper

Process basil and garlic, then add nuts, then add cheese, then add EVOO in a steady stream. Turn off after oil is incorporated, add salt and pepper. I omit the salt because the cheese is salty.

Store in frig with thin coat of olive oil on top in air-tight container for a week or more. 

For keeping long term, spoon into quart freezer bags and flatten out. Put enough in each bag so that when flattened is no more than ¼ inch thick. Place flat in freezer. When ready to use just break off amount needed and return to freezer. Good on sandwiches, pizza, pasta and sauces.

*Pine nuts can also be used.

Great way to use up a bountiful basil crop. Make lots, cause you will enjoy it all winter. 

Cooking with herbs: Tarragon

I love the taste of tarragon.  I know some people don't care for it, but if you do, here's a recipe I adapted from a Cooking Light recipe.  The original called for asparagus, but (gasp) I'm kinda tired of asparagus.  Plus my wonderful husband likes "protein" in every meal, so I added some chicken.  Here's what I did:

• Tarragon Pasta Salad with Prosciutto, Chicken, and Romano
• 8 ounces uncooked cavatappi pasta or elbow macaroni (I used rotini)
• 3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• 3 ounces prosciutto, chopped
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots
• 1 cup diced tomato
• 2 chicken breasts
• 6 tablespoons light mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus more for chicken
•  Kosher salt
• 1 1/2 ounces pecorino Romano cheese, grated (about 1/3 cup packed)
• 
  
• Preparation
• 1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water; drain.
• 2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon olive oil to pan, and swirl to coat. Add prosciutto, and cook for 6 minutes or until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove prosciutto from pan using a slotted spoon, leaving drippings in pan. Drain prosciutto on paper towels. Add the shallots to drippings in pan; cook over medium heat for 1 minute or until shallots are tender, stirring frequently.
• 3.  Add remaining olive oil to skillet.  Flatten chicken breasts to even thickness between two sheets of plastic wrap.  Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and kosher salt.  Cook chicken about 5 minutes or until browned; turn and cook on other side until brown.  Chicken should be just barely done.  Remove from pan, wrap in aluminum foil and let sit for 5 minutes.  Remove from foil and chop.
• 4. Combine mayonnaise, lemon rind, tarragon, juice, pepper, and salt in a large bowl; stir well. Add pasta, prosciutto, shallots, tomato, chopped chicken, and cheese; toss well to coat. 

1. I don't have a picture of the finished dish, so here's a picture that a friend of ours took recently in North Carolina.  It's pretty.

Bass Lake, Blowing Rock, NC

Cooking with Herbs: Mint

Mint is more than tea and mojitos.  It adds a refreshing note to lots of dishes.  Here's one that I made for dinner Tuesday night.  The recipe is from Cooking Light and I've made it several times.  It's delicious!  You can add a protein for a one-dish meal.  I usually add chicken, but this time I added ham that I had leftover from Easter.

This is the Cooking Light photo - I took a picture of my finished salad, but it didn't look this good!

Quinoa Salad with Asparagus, Dates, and Orange

Ingredients

• 
  Salad:
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped white onion
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup fresh orange sections (about 1 large orange) 
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
• 2 tablespoons minced red onion
• 5 dates, pitted and chopped
• 1/2 pound (2-inch) slices asparagus, steamed and chilled
• 1/2 jalapeño pepper, diced
• Dressing:
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• Mint sprigs (optional)

1. Preparation
2. 1. To prepare salad, heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add white onion to pan; sauté 2 minutes. Add quinoa to pan; sauté 5 minutes. Add 2 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to pan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand 15 minutes or until water is absorbed. Transfer quinoa mixture to a large bowl. Add orange and next 5 ingredients (through jalapeño); toss gently to combine.
3. 2. To prepare dressing, combine juice and next 4 ingredients (through garlic) in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Pour dressing over salad; toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with chopped mint. Garnish with mint sprigs, if desired. Serve at room temperature.