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Summer Bounty Beats Winter Blues


It's 20 degrees outside, which is pretty frosty for South Carolina. Fortunately, I made batches of tasty sauces last fall to help combat the winter blues.

Basil Pesto




We always grow lots of basil, so I made a batch of pretty yummy, multi-purpose pesto: pesto chicken, pesto with seafood, pesto in this delicious recipe for a layered cheese spread, and of course, pesto with pasta. It's like eating a little bite of summer sunshine on a cold winter day...

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/3 cup pine nuts
  • 3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • Special equipment needed: A food processor

1. Combine the pine nuts and garlic, pulse a few times in a food processor. Add the basil, pulse a few times more until well pureed.
2. Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Makes 1 cup.

Serve with pasta. Our favorite pesto dish lately includes chicken and pasta with a lovely light coating of pesto. Also try the pesto dabbed on scallops—heavenly!

Homemade Tomato Sauce




Of course, I also made several batches of tomato sauce, which is a perfect last-minute meal after a crazy day of work, gardening, volunteering, running the kids to their various activities...you know the drill. So, while we don't yet have our 2010 fresh tomatoes, here's a recipe to tuck away for use when your garden is overflowing with heirloom tomatoes. (I'm not a chef nor even a very good cook, but if I can make homemade tomato sauce, so can you!)

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 5-6 cloves garlic, peeled and pressed (we like garlic in our house...you might not want as much)
  • 2 medium onions, chopped (I chop them pretty small to fool the kids)
  • 20 very ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped. I like to use a variety...San Marzano, Cherokee Purple, Striped Roma...I've even added Yellow Pears. I peel and cut the tomatoes, remove the seeds/pulp into a bowl, and run the seeds and pulp through a food mill to remove the seeds. I'll then chop the remaining tomatoes, combine it with the strained pulp, and add both to the sauce. Personally, I don't like putting the entire tomato into the food mill; I think the sauce becomes too thin.
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 2 tsp. oregano
  • 2 tsp. basil
  • 1 tbsp. sugar
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. pepper

Heat olive oil and add garlic and onions. Saute until soft, but don't brown. Add the remaining ingredients, mixing well. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 2-3 hours. Remember to stir occasionally. Keep some French bread nearby to secretly dip into the sauce to test it, and add any additional spices to your taste! Makes approximately two, very freezable quarts of sauce to save for a winter day.