classic basil pesto

fall has definitely hit new york city, bringing cold breezy weather with it. while i welcome the beautiful season and its changes, our window garden is one step closer to hibernation. we grow a variety of herbs, and our basil plants especially thrived this past summer. what's one to do with a surplus of basil that won't last much longer? try making a couple batches of classic basil pesto, and follow the added tips to freeze some for meals later on.

start with your basic ingredients: basil, pine nuts, a salty italian cheese, garlic, olive oil, and salt. simple and classic.

start with your pine nuts

 

toast them in a skillet until lightly browned, like this:

 

while the pine nuts cool slightly, pulse your cheese of choice until fine. i used pecorino here, but parmesan is also a good choice. 

 

 set aside cheese in a bowl, and pulse pine nuts until finely ground.

set pine nuts aside with the cheese, and add your garlic and salt to the food processor. pulse a few times to chop the garlic

add the basil to the bowl, along with half of your olive oil. pulse and then grind continuously to break up the leaves.

drizzle in the remaining olive oil, with the processor running continuously.

add the cheese and pine nuts that you set aside earlier to the work bowl and process about 10 times to blend. 

that's it! your pesto is done and ready to be mixed with pasta, spread on a sandwich, or any other possibilities.

to freeze your pesto for later, i recommend a silicone tray. divide your pesto up among the molds, leaving a little room for extra olive oil. drizzle a little olive oil on top of each mold.

freeze pesto overnight, or until cubes are solid. remove from the tray and store in freezer bags.

recipe from: cuisinart miniprep recipe book

classic basil pesto with pecorino cheese and pine nuts 
makes slightly over 1/2 cup pesto

ingredients:

1 oz pecorino cheese, cut in 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 clove garlic
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

directions

1.   rinse and dry 1 cup packed basil leaves. toast the pine nuts in a skillet for 3-5 minutes on low until lightly browned. set aside to cool.

2.   pulse the cheese in the processor a few times on chop. process continuously for about 15 seconds until finely ground. remove cheese to a bowl and set aside. pulse the pine nuts in the processor a few times on chop. remove into bowl with cheese and set aside.

3.  add the garlic to the processor, and chop until minced. add the fresh basil leaves, salt and 1/2 of the olive oil (so about 1/6 cup). pulse a few times on grind mode, and the grind continuously until basil leaves are chopped up (about 15 seconds). run the processor on grind mode while you add the remaining olive oil slowly, through the holes on the lid of the work bowl. keep processing for about 10 seconds after all the oil is added.

4.   add the reserved cheese and pine nuts to the processor and pulse a few times, until all ingredients are combined. the pesto will develop a better flavor if you let it sit for about 30 minutes before using.

5.   to freeze pesto (optional), portion the pesto into a silicone ice cube tray, leaving some room on top. top off each mold with olive oil. wrap tray in saran wrap and freeze tray overnight, or until the pesto is frozen solid. remove cubes from tray when ready, and store in freezer bags until use.

tips:

when ready to use, either thaw the pesto in the fridge, or throw it into some hot pasta and stir.

don't use your regular ice trays for the pesto freeze process. my molds retained some of the scent after washing. don't want to dedicate a tray to savory uses? try freezing your pesto in a log and cutting off portions as needed.

this recipe is perfectly sized for the miniprep, but feel free to scale up if you have a bigger processor!

fairytale eggplant pizza

i couldn't resist buying these miniature striped eggplants at the market, and their adorable name doesn't hurt. these young eggplant are tender, not bitter and are lovely sauted in a little garlic and olive oil as a side to your meal. or, you can take it a step further and make this delicious recipe for fairytale eggplant pizza.

whip up a batch of your favorite recipe for pizza dough  (in a pinch, try this recipe with 2 cups whole wheat flour subbed for part of the bread flour) or set out your favorite store brand.

slice them in half lengthwise, and cut into thin strips.

heat olive oil in a pan on medium heat, add cut up eggplant, and salt and pepper to your taste.

when the eggplant starts to brown and change to a silkier texture, take it off the heat. you can set them aside to cool while you ready the rest of your pizza.

roll, or press out your pizza dough into a roughly 10-12" circle. i just used my fingers to slowly stretch the dough out into its shape, leaving a little extra around the edge for a nice crust. transfer the crust to a generously oiled baking sheet.

drizzle the crust with olive oil, and start to pile on your toppings:

i started with heirloom tomatoes.

then i layered on the sauted eggplant. topped off with fresh mozzarella cheese, blotted with a paper towel to remove some moisture.

bake in the oven until the crust is lightly browned on the bottom, about 25 minutes. let cool slightly until the toppings set, and scatter thinly sliced basil on the top of your pizza.

slice and eat!

fairytale eggplant pizza with heirloom tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil

serves 2-3 per pizza, makes 2 - 10" pizzas

ingredients:

1 batch pizza dough, try this recipe with half whole wheat flour

4 fairytale eggplants, sliced thinly

1/2 tbsp olive oil

1 large or 2 small heirloom tomatoes, sliced thinly

5 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced and blotted with paper towel

2 tbsp basil, chiffonade
2 tbsp finely grated parmesan or romano cheese

more olive oil for greasing pan
salt and pepper to taste

directions:

1.   preheat oven to 450 degrees F. press out half of your pizza dough into a 10"-11" circle.  drizzle a baking sheet generously with olive oil, and transfer your crust to the pan. repeat with the second half. drizzle your circles lightly with olive oil.

2.   layer on the heirloom tomato slices, then the eggplant slices, then the mozzarella cheese. bake the pizzas until the crust lightly browns on the bottom, and the  cheese is fully melted, about 20 minutes.

3.   let the pizza rest and cool slightly for 5-10 minutes. when the toppings and cheese have set, transfer to a cutting board. scatter the basil over the top, and if desired the grated parmesan/romano. slice and enjoy!


notes: 

be sure to let your mozzarella slices rest on paper towels and blot the excess moisture from them. otherwise, your pizza may be a bit watery. if your tomato is extra juicy, you can blot the slices as well!

regular eggplant works just as well in this recipe, if you can't find the fairytale version.

i froze one of the pizzas for a later date, and it was just as delicious, reheated in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes. perfect for a busy weeknight!

stuffed zucchini

zucchini is one of my favorite summertime vegetables, because its mild flavor is perfect for so many cooking methods and variations. my feelings on zucchini changed after i tried it prepared in countless new ways in italy. i learned that fresh, simple flavors are all that is needed to make the somewhat bland flavor of zucchini sing. this recipe for stuffed zucchini with tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella uses classic italian flavors and is a wonderful addition to a summer meal.

start by cutting the end off of two small to medium zucchini. slice them in half lengthwise.

once your zucchini are halved, it is time to make room for tomatoes. using a pointy spoon, gently scrape out some of the seeds. don't worry about getting all of the seeds out because the purpose is just to make some room to stuff them.

once your zucchini are hollowed out, you can drizzle them with olive oil, and place them on a foil lined baking sheet. season the zucchini with salt and pepper before you stuff them.

dice up the tomatoes into small enough pieces that they will fit in the zucchini.

mix them with the balsamic vinegar and olive oil, and salt and pepper them to your taste.

mix in the chopped basil, and divide the tomato mixture evenly between the four zucchini halves.

bake for 20 minutes until the zucchini is tender, and you can easily pierce it with a fork.

remove the baked zucchini from the oven, and turn your oven to the broil setting. place two thin slices of fresh mozzarella on each zucchini half.

place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes until the cheese melts. watch carefully! they can burn very quickly (ask me how i know).

take them out when the cheese is melted and lightly browned. serve immediately, while hot.

stuffed zucchini with tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella 

recipe source: Martha Stewart

serves 4

ingredients:

2 medium sized zucchini

2 roma tomatoes

2 tsp chopped basil

1/4 tsp balsamic vinegar

1/4 tsp extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

extra olive oil for drizzling

2 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced

directions:

1. preheat oven to 400 degrees F. slice the ends of the zucchini and cut them in half lengthwise. scrape out some of the seeds to create a space to put the stuffin. place them cut side up on a foil lined baking sheet that has been brushed with olive oil. sprinkle with salt and pepper, and drizzle the halves with olive oil.

2. dice the tomato into small pieces. combine the diced tomatoes with the balsamic vinegar, 1/4 tsp olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. add in the chopped basil, and mix together. divide mixture among the 4 hollowed out zucchini halves.

3. bake zucchini for 20 minutes, until the zucchini can be pierced with a fork pretty easily. take them out of the oven, and change your oven setting to broil. top with thin slices of fresh mozzarella cheese and place under the broiler for 1 minute or so, until the cheese melts and lightly browns. serve immediately.

     tips!

• use a fresh mozzarella log that is wrapped dry, if possible. if you are using fresh mozzarella that is stored in water, drain the slices on a paper towel first.
• if your zucchini do not lay cut side up without wobbling, cut a small slice off the rounded bottom (see pic below). this creates a flat surface for the zucchini to sit on. be careful not to cut a big slice, so it remains thick enough when you hollow it out.