Basil Recipes

BasilTwo of our greenhouses are dedicated to basil here on the farm. Imagine the aroma! There’s more to basil than just pesto — find some basil inspiration here.

Quick & Easy Spinach

organic spinach

Spinach isn’t just for salads — it goes great with Parmesan cheese!

Layer these in a baking dish:

1 bunch fresh spinach, washed and dried, stems removed
Sliced mushrooms
Sliced tomatoes
Sliced bell peppers
Chopped green onions

Top with crumbled feta cheese.

Sprinkle with olive oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Bake at 350F for 30 minutes. Top with chopped fresh basil. Serve immediately with some of that good artisan bread from Pane d’Amore.

This recipe brought to you by Nash’s Market Manager, Devon Beck.

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Rainbow Carrot Ribbon Salad

Rainbow carrots bunched

Purple and yellow carrots join orange carrots to make colorful bunches of rainbow carrots. Purples are sweet, and if you cut one in half, you’ll see a sunburst of orange in the core and purple on the margins. Yellows are mild with a faint parsnip taste and are cheery yellow all the way through.

1 bunch rainbow carrot ribbons, cut lengthwise into ribbons with a vegetable peeler
1 bunch arugula
Several ounces (depending on your taste) Parmigiano Reggiano, cut into ribbons
One-half red onion, slivered
Fresh herbs to taste, like basil, parsley, and chervil, broken into small pieces
One-half cup toasted nuts, like slivered almonds, walnuts or pine nuts
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix the above ingredients in a large bowl. Toss with a light vinaigrette, like the one below.

Vinaigrette
3 parts good olive oil
1 part wine vinegar
Splash balsamic vinegar
1 smashed garlic clove
Dollop dijon mustard
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Ground pepper to taste

Whisk all ingredients well together.

We thank ProudItalianCook.com for this recipe.

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Three Tasty Ways to Enjoy Basil

Basil

The scent of basil is in the air, and there are so many ways to enjoy that basil!

Pesto is easy with a food processor. Put 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves, 2 cloves garlic and 1/4 cup pine nuts in the processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir in 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino or Parmesan cheese. Pesto goes great on just about anything—noodles, eggs, winter squash, pizza, whatever.

Make an easy Basil and Bread Salad with day-old artisan bread. Cut 12 ounces of bread into cubes. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Pour over the bread in a large bowl and toss to mix it all up. Add 3 large, chopped tomatoes, 1 large chopped green pepper, 1 cup cubed Mozzarella cheese, 3 finely-minced garlic cloves, and 1 cup slivered basil leaves. Mix it all together and serve over a bed of young spinach leaves. Add feta or olives, if you like.

Basil Syrup can be drizzled over fresh fruit, soft cheese, or even added to a cocktail. Place 1 cup each of water, sugar and basil in small pan and heat until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat, steep for 30 minutes, and strain.

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Beet, Hazlenut and Goat Cheese Salad

Spinach in the field

If you’re a Nash’s Farm Share member, you’ll find both spinach and beets in your box this week!

Approx. 5 beets (1 bunch), cubed
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
Handful chives, chopped
3-4 leaves basil, chopped
1/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup hazelnuts or walnuts, chopped
1 small bunch baby spinach (approx. 1 cup)
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Honey (optional)
Balsamic vinegar (optional)

Preheat oven at 400 degrees. Roast the beets in a roasting pan with melted coconut oil for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently.

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Drizzle with honey and balsamic vinegar if you like.

We thank Primal Bliss for this recipe.

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Sauteed Runner Beans with Heirloom Tomato Marinara Sauce

Scarlet runner beans flowers

Scarlet runner beans bloom in vibrant red blossoms that are as beautiful in the field as the beans are tasty in your kitchen.

Serves 2-4
4 cups halved heirloom cherry tomatoes (or other thin-skinned tomatoes)
2 tablespoons virgin olive oil
1/2 cup filtered water
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 large shallot, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 giant handful fresh basil leaves, ripped
Sea salt and coarse ground pepper to taste
2 cups scarlet runner beans

In a large sauté skillet heat the olive oil, garlic and shallots over a low flame. Cook through for about 3-5 minutes. Add in the cherry tomatoes, parsley, sea salt and pepper. Simmer on medium-low for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. (If you are using this marinara recipe for pasta or another dish, throw in the basil, stir and it is ready to be served.)

Once the tomatoes have simmered for a bit, add in the water, fresh basil and runner beans. Turn the heat up to medium and sauté for about 5-7 minutes or until the beans are cooked through (cover with a lid if necessary). Serve immediately.

We thank WithFoodAndLove.com for this recipe.

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Garlic Scape/Kale Pizza

A handful of garlic scapes in the field

Mmmmm, garlic scapes…

1 large pizza dough (see recipe below)
1 1/2 cups diced fresh tomatoes
Grated Mozzarella cheese
1 bunch garlic scapes, cut into 1-inch pieces
5 large leaves of kale, rinsed and dried, de-ribbed, cut into small pieces
Handful of fresh basil

Preheat a grill on high for 5 minutes. In the meantime roll out the dough so that it will fit onto the grill. Cover one side of the pizza with olive oil and place that side down on the grill. Lower the heat to medium and let grill for about 4 minutes. Check the pizza after two minutes to poke any air bubbles.

Check the underside of the pizza after 4 minutes. It should lift off easily and be lightly charred. Slide the dough off of the grill onto a cutting board.  Top the cooked side with the tomato sauce then the fresh basil. Sprinkle some mozzarella over the sauce. Top with the kale and garlic scapes. Slide the pizza back onto the grill and grill for about 6 minutes or until the bottom side is cooked.

Classic Pizza Dough
Makes 2 ten-inch crusts
1 cup warm water (a bit warmer than body temperature)
2 teaspoons yeast (dry)
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh herbs
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups Nash’s soft white flour and 1 cup Nash’s hard red flour

Put the water in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle yeast and sugar, stir and let stand until foamy (5-10 minutes). Add oil, herbs, salt, and 1 cup of the flour and mix well. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 a cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. If it becomes too difficult to mix with a spoon, use your hands.

Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it with your hands until all the flour is incorporated. Lightly coat the dough with oil, return to the unclean bowl, and cover the bowl with a damp towel. Let it sit in a warm place until the dough has doubled in bulk (1 – 1 1/2 hours). Pinch the dough and divide it into 2 pieces. Form each dough into a ball and let it sit on the counter for 5 minutes. Roll each dough into 10 inch circles. If you prefer a thinner pizza, roll out to 12 inches.

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Basil Syrup

Nourish Restaurant in Sequim, WANourish, Sequim’s new garden-to-plate restaurant and gathering place, is featuring a series of meals created using items from Nash’s farm share boxes each week. Here’s a recipe straight out of our aromatic basil greenhouses!

Basil isn’t restricted to pesto or caprese salads. It makes a delicious flavor to a sweet, simple syrup that can be drizzled over fresh fruit like peaches, nectarines, mangos (or grilled apricots) or soft cheese, and makes fun summer cocktails, too!

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cup basil

Place all ingredients in small pan and heat until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and let steep for 30 minutes, strain and put in a warmed glass container. It keeps for a week, if you can leave it alone!

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Chicken with Herbs

cilantro

Fresh herbs lend their flavors to sauteed chicken.

dill, bunched

Chicken doesn’t have to be fancy to be very tasty!

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2 chicken breasts
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
Juice of 1 lemon with 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon paprika
Salt and pepper

Basil

Our greenhouses here at Nash’s are bursting with basil, and our dill and cilantro are soaking up the summer sun outside.

In a skillet, heat up the oil and butter on medium heat and put in the chicken, fat side down. Saute until golden. Flip and cook for another minute.

Push the chicken to the side and add the garlic and onions. Cook for a few minutes until either the onions or the garlic are just starting to brown. Lower the heat to low and cook for about 10 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, chicken, paprika, salt, pepper, half the lemon juice, half the cilantro, half the dill, and half the basil. Cover again and continue cooking on low for 30 minutes.

Right before serving, add the other half of the lemon juice, cilantro, dill and basil, which will be very fresh and bright. Serve with rice.

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Fava Bean Hummus

fava beans

In this hummus variation, fava beans take center stage to make a tasty spread or veggie dip.

1 cup fava beans (removed from pods and blanched and peeled)
1 bunch garlic scapes, roasted
4 tablespoons olive oil
Lemon juice to taste (optional)
Salt to taste
Basil to taste (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Place garlic scapes on a cookie sheet with a little bit of oil and roast for about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let them cool down.

Once scapes are cool, place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and pulse till combined. If you use a blender, you may need more oil to make the consistency smooth. You can also add a sprig or two of basil as you blend for extra flavor.

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