Recipe When life gives you basil...make pesto!

[cupcakechef]

My garden has a couple of basil plants, and they've absolutely been thriving so far this spring/summer - so much so that I had a big old abundance of basil. I made some fabulous pesto today and the recipe was so easy. Pop it all in your blender and you've got amazing pesto at a fraction of the cost of store bought! We're having pesto and bacon pasta tonight to use some of it! Can't wait!

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed

• 1/2 cup freshly grated Romano or Parmesan-Reggiano cheese

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 1/3 cup pine nuts (can sub chopped walnuts)

• 3 garlic cloves, minced (about 3 teaspoons)

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

 

[Morning Glory]

Another way I use basil is to stuff as much as I can into the cavity of a whole fish, before baking in the oven.

 

[Berties]

i quite often mix a bit of french parsley into pesto as it can be a bit to fragrant if using it raw,i often make different types of pesto,
mint pesto and hazelnut and watercress and horseradish work well

 

[Dianemwj]

I make this thing called Tomato Basil Pie, a recipe from one of my multitude of cookbooks, that is one of my husband's favorite things to eat. He'd eat it every day, if I could get my hands on the basil. I've killed (or the sun has) countless basil plants that took one breath of our 100+ temperatures, sighed, withered and died.

It's basically a pie crust, pre-baked with those pie weight thingys and sprinkled with grated mozzarella and alowed to cool. Then one covers the cheese with thin wedges of tomato which has been drained well. Then a mixture of basil and garlic is plopped onto the tomatoes. Then one mixes more mozzarella with some grated parmesan, a dab of mayonnaise for cohesion and some white pepper and smears this mixture over the basil and tomatoes making sure to completely cover them and make sure the cheese mixture connects with the piecrust. Then the pie is baked for about 30 minutes until it is browned and bubbly.

Let me tell, you. This is one good pie. (I read this to my husband and he said to tell you "Boy Howdy!").

 

[Morning Glory]

I make this thing called Tomato Basil Pie, a recipe from one of my multitude of cookbooks, that is one of my husband's favorite things to eat. He'd eat it every day, if I could get my hands on the basil. I've killed (or the sun has) countless basil plants that took one breath of our 100+ temperatures, sighed, withered and died.

It's basically a pie crust, pre-baked with those pie weight thingys and sprinkled with grated mozzarella and alowed to cool. Then one covers the cheese with thin wedges of tomato which has been drained well. Then a mixture of basil and garlic is plopped onto the tomatoes. Then one mixes more mozzarella with some grated parmesan, a dab of mayonnaise for cohesion and some white pepper and smears this mixture over the basil and tomatoes making sure to completely cover them and make sure the cheese mixture connects with the piecrust. Then the pie is baked for about 30 minutes until it is browned and bubbly.

Let me tell, you. This is one good pie. (I read this to my husband and he said to tell you "Boy Howdy!").

Is this a quiche/flan type thing? I like the idea of the ingredients but don't quite understand the concept

 

[Dianemwj]

Is this a quiche/flan type thing? I like the idea of the ingredients but don't quite understand the concept

Nope, not a quiche at all. No eggs. It's just a savory pie made from tomatoes, basil, garlic and cheese. Maybe like a pizza with a flaky pie crust? Not really that either, it is good, though.

 

[cupcakechef]

I make this thing called Tomato Basil Pie, a recipe from one of my multitude of cookbooks, that is one of my husband's favorite things to eat. He'd eat it every day, if I could get my hands on the basil. I've killed (or the sun has) countless basil plants that took one breath of our 100+ temperatures, sighed, withered and died.

It's basically a pie crust, pre-baked with those pie weight thingys and sprinkled with grated mozzarella and alowed to cool. Then one covers the cheese with thin wedges of tomato which has been drained well. Then a mixture of basil and garlic is plopped onto the tomatoes. Then one mixes more mozzarella with some grated parmesan, a dab of mayonnaise for cohesion and some white pepper and smears this mixture over the basil and tomatoes making sure to completely cover them and make sure the cheese mixture connects with the piecrust. Then the pie is baked for about 30 minutes until it is browned and bubbly.

Let me tell, you. This is one good pie. (I read this to my husband and he said to tell you "Boy Howdy!").

Oh gosh it sounds HEAVENLY! It sounds like a caprese salad in pie form. Otherwise known as my idea of a good time!!

 

[GadgetGuy]

I used to make this when I worked for a catering co.

 

[Corzhens]

Our basil is very prolific with so many leaves and I didn't know what to do with it. Fortunately, In one thread, someone suggested to mix the basil with omelet. I tried it once, chopped basil with bits of spam and cheese cubes for omelet. It was a hit. Maybe next time I would make an omelet with basil again but with no meat. I'm thinking of sardine omelet because the basil is apt to neutralize the fish smell and fishy taste of sardines.

 

[Elvisish]

Very nice, will have to try this and use a vegan cheese substitute should work the same, and I bet its far more tasty than bought pesto! I also love using lots of fresh basil in spaghetti bolognese, unfortunately the basil I have in the garden has pretty much died off now, so I will have to buy a new plant