freezing basil and a little vacation

I am back from a splendid "vacation" visiting my daughter and three grandchildren (and the cats and doggie) in their lovely house in Minneapolis. It was truly a wonderful visit, in spite of the alarming moment when the puppy Maisie ran away (found a few blocks away hanging out with a little brewfest party:), and the sigh when I realized, yes.  The three year old still bellows his rising and shining at 4 or 5 am.  I was thrilled to find the lavender turtleheads flowering in the side yard, right on schedule as it is in New Hampshire.

Now back at my place, and checking on my basil in my little garden, I saw the first golden leaf beside the bush.   First an inhaling of that wonderful scent, and then snipping away to fill a bowlful of those gorgeous, fragrant leaves.  It rained last night, but by afternoon the leaves were dry - perfect for freezing.

This is a trick I learned some time ago - that if you clip basil when it's perfectly dry and place in a clean, dry, freezer container and stick in your freezer, the basil will stay green and fragrant - and that is such a treat in February!  As I'm not familiar with the frost date in St. Paul, I decided to stash that beautiful basil while it was on my mind. Just remember, it has to be completely dry before clipping.  Simply snip off the very dry leaves and layer in the container, discarding the stems.

Happy September!

One year ago:  Little peach and nectarine galettes

Two years ago:  Buttery Cabbage Slices(steaks)

Three years ago:  Poached apricots with cardamom and cinnamon cream

Four years ago:  Lemon muffins and the last of the tomatoes

Inhale: the scent of basil

Does any herb intoxicate the senses like summer basil? Inhale - and smile.

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Pasta salad with basil, sun-warmed tomatoes, and artichokes:

To hot, drained vermicelli add:

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Gently diced fresh tomatoes

As much sliced fresh basil as you want

A good drizzle of olive oil

Several squeezes of fresh lemon

chopped artichoke hearts from a jar

Kosher salt and pepper

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Pesto pasta:

If you have a cup of basil leaves, you can make pesto. This makes about 3/4's of a cup of pesto.

3 garlic cloves

1 cup basil leaves, firmly packed then sliced

about 1/2 - 3/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup toasted pine nuts

1/2 cup parmesan cheese ( or none, or more)

kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper

juice of a half a fresh lemon

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Place the garlic cloves in a food processor and chop finely. Add the rest of the ingredients and blitz until smooth. This is highly adaptable to individual tastes - so feel free to experiment.

You can scrape this into a jam jar and stick in the freezer until January - when it will bring a smile to your face and a reminder of sweet summer days.

Or you can just toss gently with hot pasta and dig in. Use a little ( a few tablespoons) or a lot, like the whole jar:)