Classic Pesto, aka, "That Green Stuff"

Woe unto me for neglecting my beloved food blog for so very long. As one reader wrote, "The guacamole song was great, but isn't it time for an update?"

Yes, it is. And since I'm taking care of neglected things, I'll share a recipe I've neglected to post.

My young friend Lemony happened to be visiting us during basil season last year, and she was grateful for her very first taste of pesto. This year, I direct-seeded a whole row of Profuma di Genova and Italian Pesto basil from seed purchased from Renee's Garden Seeds. I was worried that I had planted a bit too early, since basil doesn't care for cold, and then, when the tiny, fragrant leaves emerged from the ground, I was worried that I had planted them too closely at the front of the row and too sparsely at the back. But after transplanting a few and reseeding a few more, I have a full, beautiful crop of basil with enough to spare to anyone who asks (so feel free to ask!).

Last week, dear Lemony was here again. For the past year, she has been asking me to post the recipe for that "delicious green stuff," but I was certain I'd already posted it. Alas, I had not. But I did make two batches, one for immediate consumption and one for my two eldest, Lemony and their other friends to take to Lollapalooza. I just received a tweet from Lemony saying, "We're out of pesto. Send help."

As much as I'd like to take all of the credit for this delicious "green stuff," I have to admit that this pesto recipe comes from Renee's Garden's cookbook, Recipes from a Kitchen Garden. This book, along with More Recipes from a Kitchen Garden, are simply necessary for those who eat seasonally, whether it's from your own garden or from the local farmer's market. Uses for all of that delicious fresh produce and herbs pack each book. There is a generous sampling of the recipes on Renee's Garden's website as well. As you might be able to tell, I'm a big fan of Renee's Garden, seeds, cookbooks and all. If you read about Renee's Garden, I think you'll see why.

And now that I have searched my blog, I see that I've failed to share Renee's Garden's recipe for Orzo Casserole, too! Oh, my. Maybe tomorrow? Look for it!

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Classic Fresh Pesto Sauce
(slightly adapted)

Can be frozen for later use!

3 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 large cloves garlic (more if you love it!)
1/2 cup pine nuts or pecan meats
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (be sure to use freshly grated cheese from a block, not the pre-grated stuff in plastic containers)
1 tsp fresh oregano or marjoram
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 to 1/3 cup fruity olive oil
salt to taste

Combine all ingredients, except olive oil and salt, in a food processor or blender. Slowly add enough olive oil to make a thick, smooth sauce. Add salt to taste. Serve on fresh pasta or toasted rustic bread. Makes about 2 cups.

Genovese Basil Bread

On a cool, rainy holiday when Toby is out working on the cabin and the garden weeds will wait until the sun comes up, baking bread is at its best. And when there's an abundance of basil in the garden, that's the time to make Genovese Basil Bread.

This recipe is made in a similar fashion to french bread, so you'll roll out the dough with a rolling pin and then roll each piece up jelly-roll style.

The recipe makes four small baguette-type loaves, so if you've got a hungry clan, you'll want to make several batches!

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Genovese Basil Bread

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Cups Fresh Basil Leaves, coarsely chopped and lightly packed
1 clove garlic, minced
1 package dry yeast
1 cup very warm water (105-115 degres F)
2.5 to 3 cups bread flour, plus a bit more for dusting
2 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Heat oil in a heavy, large skillet (I love my cast iron skillets!) over low to medium heat. Add basil and garlic and stir for 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Dissolve the yeast in water in a small bowl. Let it stand for ten minutes.

Mound 2.5 cups of flour onto your work surface or in a large bowl (I use my stand mixer); make a well in the center. Add the dissolved yeast, basil mixture, salt and pepper to the well. Mix the ingredients that are in the well, and then incorporate the flour. Knead on a lightly floured surface until it's firm and elastic, adding a bit more flour if it's sticky, for several minutes (on 4 on your KitchenAid stand mixer for 10 minutes).

Place the dough in a large, oiled bowl, turning once to coat with oil, and then cover it to let it rise until it's doubled, about 45 minutes, depending on the warmth in the rising space.

Grease a baking sheet. Punch down the dough. Knead it on a lightly floured surface until it's smooth, about three minutes. Cut the dough into four pieces (or two pieces, for a longer loaf) and then roll one out on a lightly-floured surface to an 8 x 5 1/2" rectangle (longer if you're making two loaves instead of four).

Roll it up jelly-roll style, starting at one long end. Transfer to the greased baking sheet, seam side down, then do the rest of the pieces the same way. Cover and let rise for about 30 minutes, until the pieces are doubled.

While they're rising, preheat your oven to 450 degrees farenheit.

When the rolls have risen, slash them from one end to the other with a serrated knife and a confident hand. Bake them for about 30 minutes, or until they're golden in color and sound hollow when you tap on the bottom of a roll.

Voila!

And a finished product! Yes! Delicious with REAL butter!

Chicken Bryan

There's a fancy restaurant near us that serves a dish that I crave come summer grilling time. After doing a little searching and experimenting, I decided that this was about as close as I could get to the real thing.

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Chicken Bryan

Chicken:

6 large chicken breasts
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
8 oz goat cheese or Gruyere, softened to room temperature

Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce:

2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon finely-chopped garlic
1 tablespoon finely-chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice
10 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 cup finely-sliced sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground white pepper

Prepare the sun-dried tomato sauce. Place the butter, garlic and onion in a large skillet over medium heat and saute until the garlic and onion are tender and transparent. Add white wine and lemon juice. Increase heat to medium-high and simmer to reduce by half.

Reduce heat to low. Add cold butter one piece at a time. Add sun-dried tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper. Stir to blend ingredients. Set aside.

Prepare the chicken: reduce charcoal briquettes to white-hot coals. Brush chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill chicken over hot coals 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.

Divide goat cheese evenly between chicken breasts, placing on the chicken breasts for the last two minutes of cooking.

Place cooked chicken on serving platter and spoon sun-dried tomato sauce over chicken.

Serve hot.