FIVE types of basil PESTO!!

Mmmm hmm that's right, five types of basil. There's Genovese, there's Thai, there's lemon, there's purple and there's curly. Together dynamite! I'm growing them all because I'm awesome, but also because they came in a packet of seeds I bought at our local Co-op. The lemon may taste a bit like dish soap when in a Caprese salad but alone picked fresh and placed in your mouth, chewed and swallowed is an experience I would hate to have lived without having. In fact this pesto is an experience that I may have regretted not having without even knowing: a philosophical conundrum that I have alerted you to and now, by making this pesto, you can avoid. Tis true, I am saving you from a mediocre, boring existence.

And now, a recipe. One that may save you from your lackluster life.

5 Types of Basil Pesto

Note: If you are not as cool as me and did not plant 5 types of basil, this recipe is almost as good with just the regular Genovese variety.

8 cups of unprocessed basil(s)

10 sundried tomatoes soaked in hot water for about a 1/2 hour

1/2 cup walnuts (pine nuts are preferable but they were $26.99/lb.)

4 Tbsp. olive oil

6 cloves garlic

1/2 cup parmesean, finely grated

Salt & Pepper to taste

*Do note: I forgot lemon. It was an accident. You should not forget it and put in the juice of 1/2 lemon.

I think that's everything but I am probably forgeting something I put in there. It truly was delicious. Traditionally my family makes this with whole wheat pasta. And then, traditionally, we put the cold leftovers on bread (yes, pasta and pesto on bread...carb fest 2010!!), and enjoy. Try it before you knock it. It's a great way to use pesto leftovers, promise.

Carrot Salsa??

MMMMMmmmmmm Hmmmmmm. I'll ask my dad or my sister for the right name of the restaurant, but there was this Mexican restaurant (El Menchaca! I remembered, but didn't change the rest of the sentence) we used to go to growing up...I'm drawing a blank now but really shouldn't, we went there all the time. I mostly fantasize about their cheese enchiladas because being the picky eater that I was (I know, I know hard to imagine) that was all I ever got. But then I remember their sopapillas....mmmmmmmm... Unlike the version common to New Mexican cuisine, these were large, round, fried, smothered in honey, crispy and chewy things. What I wouldn't give to have another one of those on occasion.

Well anyways, apparently they also made a carrot salsa. Growing up my tastes were certainly not refined enough to appreciate such delicacies but my dad remembers it fondly. When I pulled about three bunches of carrots out of the garden yesterday (and that's not even all of them!) I knew what I was going to make. Uh huh, carrot salsa.

Not having tried it before so having no recollection to base my experiment off of this is what I made:

About 2-3 cups of grated carrots ( I put mine in my new food processor, the current love affair of my kitchen, it being new and all. But really you might just want to grate them so you have larger carrot parts instead of puree.)

Handful cilantro, chopped (You may want to forgo this ingredient as it makes the salsa a funny color. Instead of a vibrant orange it is a dull orangish brown. Again a case for grating.)

1 whole white onion (Chopped or food processed)

2 Habanero Peppers (Be a sissy, throw out the seeds, you do want to eat this salsa right?)

Juice of 1 lime

Salt to taste

This salsa is different yet fantastic. It is easy to make and is sure to please a crowd...

Thai Coconut Mushroom Soup

I had a maddening craving for Thai Coconut Soup yesterday (and no, I'm not pregnant, to assuage your fears) and HAD to have some. No one was available to go get any, and I had made a pact with myself. I have grown so many vegetables this year that I have more produce than I can possibly eat, more produce than a small farm. My pact was to only eat food that I have made at home until the gardening season has expired. That way I can be sure to eat most of what I've grown and know what and when to give away when I can't.

Anyways, I did have to pick up groceries (isn't that the irony?) as I surely didn't cultivate mushrooms or grow coconuts or rice noodles for that matter. I groceried, then I cooked and it was fantastic.

Recipe:

1 medium onion slivered

5 cloves garlic

2 tsp chopped ginger

1/2 block tofu (didn't grow that either)

1 jalapeno

2-3 tomatoes chopped into large chunks

Lots of small crimini mushrooms, whole

Lots of fresh basil, whole leaves

1 can coconut milk

olive oil

braggs

garlic chile oil

Ok, so I put some olive oil and onions in first, peeled garlic, pressed it and put it in too. Then I chopped the ginger, threw that in. Then the jalapeno (unseeded, don't be a sissy). Then the ginger, cubed. Then the chile oil. Then the basil. Then the mushrooms. Then I stir fried it for a bit. Then I added the coconut milk plus about a can and 1/2 of water. Then I added the braggs to taste. And lo and behold, it tasted practically identical to what I've had in restaurants (and I made it up:).

Cucumber Salad

Cucumbers are one of, if not my favorite vegetable/fruit (you know that confusing distinction: some say it is a fruit if it has seeds, therefore cucumbers are a fruit (scientific logic), but others say that if it is sweet it's a fruit (common knowledge), I'm siding with them). Regardless, fruit or vegetable, they're crunchy, fresh and delicious. Especially if they're Armenian (curly, skinny, and weird), fresh out of your garden, and prepared the following way...

This simple recipe is easy and can be eaten immediately or left to marinate. Don't let it marinate too long or the cucumbers will turn soft and maybe soon enough have metamorphasized into...pickles!! Well anyway, according to your taste.

Cucumber Salad

One sliced cucumber (mine were Armenian but anything fresh will do)

1-2 Tbsp. of olive oil

1 Tbsp. of vinegar*

Salt and Pepper to taste

3 Tbsp. crumbled feta

*I've used both apple cider and balsamic. Both work great though surprisingly balsamic was less vinegary and therefore blended better.

Mmmmmm enjoy.

Poblanos Rellanos

Dearest Followers (all 8 of you, if you're still reading..),

I apologize. My/our camera was stolen on our honeymoon and I/we have not gotten another. I did however get a jailbroken iPhone for tmobile but am still not sure how to get the computer to see it as a device without wanting to upgrade it in itunes. Oh technology: once in love, yet rejection. Therefore, I did take some lovely photographs of recent meals intending to post and unfortunately am unable to post them. You will just have to deal with an abbreviated version of a recipe without photographs.

Another message I must relay to you, my readers, is that I will no longer be researching my posts as thoroughly as I would like. One, I feel it is hindering me from posting on a regular basis and two, I think you really just read me for the recipes anyway.

Love love, and read often,

brussel

That being said let's get to the meat of it (expression! don't get so literal on me.) Fine, let's get to the vegetable of the hour: poblanos chiles.

I am growing the most beautiful fantastic poblanos chiles you have ever laid eyes on. If you've never laid eyes on a poblanos chile it is a gorgeous foresty velvet green. The shape is a bell pepper who had sex with a green chile. Yeah, I said it, sex. Their baby is slightly spicy when roasted and meatier (an expression!) than a green chile. Mmmmmm.

First you must roast these beauties. I do this on an open stove top flame. Some recommend the oven on broil, I usually forget about them and they are burnt by the time I remember. On a stove top I am held accountable. However this does imply that you must have a gas range. If you do not, follow the later recommendation.

Then you cut a T-slit, not a technical term but a visual description for those of you who are visual learners. A horizontal slit at the top near the stem and in the center of that slit another one vertically down toward the tip. Use your fingers to dig out the seeds.

Next slide in the cheese. I used a blend of cotija, mozzarella and muenster. Twas lovely blend.

Dip them suckers in blue corn meal (the thicker, the more textural and the better so choose your meal by those standards). Dip em' again in egg batter (some eggs in a bowl whipped).

Then fry em' up in some hot veggie oil. Enjoy doused in chile sauce (recipe following, parts/ingredients list at the bottom).

Green Chile Sauce

*You must have some roasted green chiles on hand. If you have fresh chiles follow the instructions above for roasting poblanos chiles.

Put some peeled garlic in a pot with some butter, saute. Add about a 1/4 cup white flour, stir. Chop the chiles, add. Pour in some water (like 2 cups). Simmer, add salt, taste.

Parts/Ingredients List

For Poblanos Rellanos:

Poblanos Chiles (I used 6)

Cheese (I used a blend of cotija, mozzarella and muenster)

Blue Corn Meal

Eggs (2)

Vegetable Oil (I used safflower, like 1/2 cup in a large frying pan)

For Green Chile Sauce:

Roasted Green Chiles (ours are especially hot so it is up to you how many according to your taste, we used too many)

Flour (1/4 cup)

Salt (teaspoon)

Garlic, crushed (lots)

Summer Spring Rolls

So for me summer means oppressive heat, therefore a light appetite and due to the light appetite, slimming down to bikini size. I like summer. I am inclined in summer toward more raw dishes, or partially raw dishes like the one below...

Spring Rolls. Spring rolls are tradition in most Asian cuisines but sadly not western. I decided to take a more traditional Vietnamese recipe and alter it according to what was growing in my garden and what was available in my fridge. Recipe after the pics (I still can't figure out a way to make loading pictures and writing a seamless activity. Meaning: I just can't figure out how to put the photos and text where I want them to be.)

Finished spring rolls...yum!!

What the roll looks like before you wet it..

What it looks like afterwards.

The Recipe

Spring Roll Wrappers (available at most International Grocers, mine are Vietnamese and I make sure they only contain rice flour, water and salt)

Tofu*

Zucchini

Lettuce

Jalapenos

Mint Leaves

Sauce**

Wet the wraps in warm water. Use your hand to smooth the texturized wrap. When smooth layer the tofu, veggies and mint. Pour on some sauce and roll it up. Enjoy with some sauce on the side.

Typically most recipes have rice noodles, and up until now I have used them too. My departure from this was only because I did not have them at hand. I found out that to me they are not necessary and are kind of a filler. I still love rice noodles though and think that they may act to keep the roll moistened longer. So, it is up to you whether you add some boiled rice noodles.

*Tofu

Tofu, firm

Black Sesame Seeds

Saracha Hot Sauce

Dark Sesame Oil

Soy Sauce

Put the condiments and seeds in first. Layer tofu on top. The more soy sauce the saltier so be careful. Braise on each side.

*Sauce

Tahini* 3 Tbsps

Soy Sauce 1 Tbsp

Saracha Hot Sauce 2 tsps

Dark Sesame Oil 1 Tbsp

Black Sesame Seeds 2 tsps

Water as needed

Honey 1 Tbsp

Mix all together well, taste. If it is not salty enough, add more soy sauce. If it is too thick, add more water. The honey should make the flavors meld together nicely but add it slowly or else it will just congeal on your spoon.

*Typically it is peanut but I found this an adequate sub.

First Garden Meal of the Season!

Yum, right? Very simple and easy to prepare, and for me it was all grown here at my house (aside from the tofu, spices, and kale that Sarah brought over from her own garden). My garden supplied the swiss chard, tomato, yellow squash, and green chilies. It is truly amazing what patience and water can become...

The first recipe is for the squash: basically you slice the squash into thin rounds, saute in olive oil with caraway seed, fennel seed, tarragon and salt. Don't overcook! Squash tastes terrible when it is overcooked and slimy. Dust with feta crumbles...mmmm...feta.

Now for the awesomeness of Korean cooking. I went over to my dear friend Vivi's (she is Korean) and had the most amazing spinach I've ever tasted. I researched, and even watched a youtube video and discovered the secret to this delectable cuisine. I used kale and swiss chard, but you are supposed to use spinach. I feel you can substitute any green that can withstand blanching so long as you are alright with the slight bitterness some types inherently posses.

Korean Greens

Greens of any type (spinach is suggested, but again I used swiss chard and kale), 1 bunch or more if you have it

Boiling water

2 Tbsp Soy Sauce

Dark sesame oil (you just pour it on top, no specified amount)

2 cloves of garlic

chopped green onion (like 4)

Toasted sesame seeds (see below for instructions on toasting)

First boil the water and clean the greens. Blanch the greens for about 30 seconds, over blanching will cause the greens to lose the integrity of their leaves, becoming green mush. Toast the sesame seeds by placing raw seeds in a dry cast iron skillet (or whatever you have on hand) on a medium burner for about ten minutes, you should smell them when they are toasted. Crush raw garlic into a large mixing bowl, add chopped onions and soy sauce. Strain greens and wash them several times in cool water. Squeeze out all the excess water. Add to the mixing bowl, stir to coat. Cover with sesame oil (key). Fin. Enjoy.

The tofu I just put in a pan with spicy sauce, soy sauce and sesame oil. Brown the tofu and remove. It ended up being slightly bland so I made a sauce of tahini, sesame seeds, soy sauce, spicy (cock) sauce, and sesame oil. Delish.