Pesto!

Mrs. Hall's Pesto Sauce:

2 cups fresh basil leaves (not packed)
2 med cloves garlic
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
2/3 cup olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup pine nuts
Pepper to taste

I used sweet basil from the garden for this but also added:

additional 1/2 cup of lime basil
and
2 tbsp ground almonds.

Mix all of the ingredients together in the blender until they reach a smooth, even consistency. Pesto should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. It can also be frozen for later use.

Then put it on EVERYTHING!

The Basil was getting so big in my garden that it was throwing the other plants into shade – aw, how terrible – into the blender it goes!

I was not prepared for how addictive this pesto recipe was going to be (Thank you Lauren’s Mom!). I ate the stuff all day in the following:

Pesto Egg white scramble (In the microwave no less)
Pesto English Muffins
Pesto Pasta
Pesto on a Bruschetta-flavored Boca Burger (Mmmmm!)
Pesto Popcorn
More Pesto Popcorn

Pesto popcorn was pretty amazing - spread a couple tablespoons of pesto around the inside of your biggest mixing bowl, pop some microwave popcorn, pour it into the bowl and stir well.

My New Favorite Omelette

Once in a while I try something and it works.
I wanted to make a nice breakfast for my friends and I had some good leftover white wine in the fridge. I made an omelette with fresh herbs from the container garden (oregano, basil, chives, a little lemon balm, and some of the marigold fronds that I posted about below). I took about half of the yolks out of the eggs and discarded those out of habit, then instead of the usual milk or water that I would have beaten into the eggs I added a generous splash of the white wine.

Herbs, eggs, and wine all got whipped up into a nice froth with some salt and pepper and then fried and filled with some gouda cheese I also happened to have in the fridge. I topped it with fresh chives and served with fried squash blossoms and homemade home fries with hominy corn (I was almost out of potatoes so I used a can of hominy to stretch them further).

My sister thinks the wine (and the two citrusy herbs) sound like they wouldn’t be good in eggs but it was a hit with the three I served it to and I’ve made it twice since and friends haven’t complained (and at least one of them is blunt enough to have told me if it wasn’t a good idea). I think it may help that I remove half of the yolks, which might remove some of the strong flavor that can then be replaced with the wine flavor. Also I ran out of gouda and have made it with whatever white cheeses I have at the house… still works.


White wine from Jefferson Vineyards, Charlottesville, VA in my marigold basket.

Signet (Gem) Marigolds

I know I can’t be the only one who feels no interest in the orange potted marigolds that show up every year in the supermarkets and home improvement stores. I certainly would not have thought to plant marigolds on my balcony; It’s supposed to be a kitchen garden after all!

Well, enter the Signet Marigold (Tagetes tenuifolia). I came across it while looking for pest-controlling companion herbs. It has a strong citrusy scent, deters some pests, and the flowers are edible! On top of this, they look nothing like the dense orange ruffles I’m used to. These are pretty little five-petaled, simple blossoms set among lacy leaves… and they’re tasty too!

While waiting for the flowers to bloom I went ahead and gave the leaves a taste. Yes, this was before I even double-checked that the leaves were edible. They taste to me like orange or grapefruit zest… but without any of the fruits’ sweetness, if that makes sense. I think I may like the leaves better than the blossoms (and a little goes a long way as they’re very strongly scented).

As far as using the blossoms [and greens if you are doing that], I’ve found suggestions for pairing them with fish – think tarragon – and for including the petals in a colorful chicken salad. I’ve been using them with some rosemary when I make fried squash blossoms and also throwing sprigs into my omelettes. I just came across a sweet biscuit recipe that uses them too and I will be trying that in the fall when it’s cool enough to do some baking. They sound delicious and I will post the recipe (pending permission) when I make them.





To be completely honest, I haven’t found anything that explicitly states that the leaves are edible (the blossoms are, there is no doubt to that). I have however found several recipes that use both the leaves and the blossoms (which I am taking as a statement that the leaves are indeed edible) and have been eating both with no ill effects. With any new foods please use common sense and be alert to any possible reactions you may experience.

Not all marigold varieties are edible so please be sure of what you have before cooking with them. SIGNET marigolds are the ones I refer to in this post, they can also be called Lemon Gem Signet, Orange Gem Signet, or Starfire Signet.

My Starfire Signet seeds came from Reneesgarden.com.

Fairy Tale Eggplants Grown From Seed

Last year was my first try at growing these pretty little nightshades. I started them indoors from seed (seeds purchased from Park Seeds) and moved them out to the balcony in late May. The flowers were gorgeous but the fruits finally came in long after my tomatoes started producing.

Okay, I thought, these are a late bearing fruit.
I’d better keep that in mind.

Or maybe not; because this year they are the first
ripe fruits coming in from my garden!
Beautiful mini-eggplants striped in my favorite
color, I can’t wait to toss them with some olive oil
and S&P and throw them in the toaster oven set to broil (I am determined to avoid turning on the oven all summer – it's just too hot!)




(Next up to ripen will be these little Gretal eggplants. I think next year I am going to have to get seeds for the variety called "Hansel". It's just too sickeningly cute to have a trio of plants called "Hansel", "Gretal", and "Fairy Tale" out in the container garden.)