Green Corn Moon With a Side of Pesto...
Okay, so how's your August shaping up for you? Here in Ohio we can already feel a hint of fall on its way. This is harvest time in the Great Lakes region. The corn managed to survive all the rains in the spring and early summer , and now it is sweet corn season. Seems as though you can't drive more than 50 feet before you see another outdoor booth selling sweet corn. Is it any wonder that the Native Americans named the August full moon the green corn moon? So far we have enough corn for food uses, but I grow more and more nervous as I see signs posted on fields stating that this crop of corn will be used for the bio-fuel ethol. Not good. I was horrified to find out that it takes 1000 gallons of water to produce 1 gallon of ethol. What's wrong with this picture? Everywhere an ethol production plant is built the water rights of the area are bought up by that company. What happens when there is a drought? Farmers are being forced to sell their water rights or face seizure through eminent domain laws. I for one am boycotting ethol. Better to create bio-fuel from french fry grease from the fast food restaurants than wasting a food crop and precious water that will eventually compound into future disasters. Okay, there's my soapbox for the moment. Moving on to the next subject.
So, how's your basil doing? With so much rain this passed spring, my early basil plants did not fair very well. Eventually I gave up and bought new healthier plants. So far they are doing great. I have had nice enough harvest from them that I can now think about all the things you can do with basil. The first thing that comes to mind is pesto. Though I've seen many different recipes for pesto, they all have the same basic ingredients. Tweaking it with your own special touch is up to your personal cooking creativity. So here's the basic pesto recipe:
2 c. washed fresh basil leaves
2 or 3 cloves of garlic
2-4 T. of pine nuts (walnuts or almonds, optional)
1/2 c. olive oil (can use canola oil if olive oil is too heavy for your taste)
1/2 c. Parmesan or Asiago cheese
3 T. butter (optional)
Chop the basil leaves, eliminating the stems. Place all the ingredients except for the cheese into a food processor and process until they are a puree. Add the cheese and process lightly. The pesto should be a medium thick paste that can be used immediately with pasta or place into containers to either freeze or store in refrigerator for future use.
So, how's your basil doing? With so much rain this passed spring, my early basil plants did not fair very well. Eventually I gave up and bought new healthier plants. So far they are doing great. I have had nice enough harvest from them that I can now think about all the things you can do with basil. The first thing that comes to mind is pesto. Though I've seen many different recipes for pesto, they all have the same basic ingredients. Tweaking it with your own special touch is up to your personal cooking creativity. So here's the basic pesto recipe:
2 c. washed fresh basil leaves
2 or 3 cloves of garlic
2-4 T. of pine nuts (walnuts or almonds, optional)
1/2 c. olive oil (can use canola oil if olive oil is too heavy for your taste)
1/2 c. Parmesan or Asiago cheese
3 T. butter (optional)
Chop the basil leaves, eliminating the stems. Place all the ingredients except for the cheese into a food processor and process until they are a puree. Add the cheese and process lightly. The pesto should be a medium thick paste that can be used immediately with pasta or place into containers to either freeze or store in refrigerator for future use.
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