Lavender............................... peppers, tomatoes, tomatillos...............more lavender
Sweet Basil......................... Tomatoes.................................. Curly Parsley
Stevia................................ Tomatillos, Peppers........ Texas Tarragon..............More Tomatoes
Thank you Mother Nature for all the rain, rain, rain last week and for all the sun, sun, sun this week. The perfectly mixed combination has made my patio garden green, green, green!
Tonight's menu: Pesto with bow tie pasta, grilled shrimp, roasted yellow crookneck squash, sun tea with stevia and lemon.
This is the best cookbook, ever! The spine of my book is broken, the pages are falling out, but I love it just the same. I bought this cookbook about 20 years ago, I think I was about two years old, yeah two. I even bought one for my sister. I knew that as we got older and wanted to cook, this was the book for us!
This Pesto recipe is so easy, and a favorite in my house. Every summer my nieces and nephews request to make Pesto, and I let them. Sometimes my kitchen walls end up splattered with flecks of green, but it wipes off and there is nothing better than a child learning in the kitchen! The great thing about this recipe is you can add or subtract ingredients and it still is really, really good. Our favorite Pesto recipe is from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook pictured above.
Pesto
Original recipe from Better Homes and Gardens Complete Guide to Food and Cooking
1 c firmly packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 c firmly packed parsley sprigs with stems removed
1/2 c grated Parmesan Reggiano or Romano cheese
1/4 c pine nuts or walnuts
1 large clove garlic, quartered
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c olive oil
In a blender container or food processor bowl, combine basil leaves, parsley, Parmesan or Romano cheese, nuts garlic, and salt. Cover and blend or process with several on-off turns till a paste forms, stopping the machine several times and scraping the sides. With the machine running slowly, gradually add oil and blend or process to the consistency of soft butter. To serve, dollop some of the pesto atop hot soups or toss with hot cooked pasta. Makes about 3/4 cup.
Nutrition information per tablespoon: 76 Kcal, 2 g protein, 1 carb, 7 g fat (2 g saturated), 3mg cholesterol, 110 mg sodium, 66mg potassium
Shrimp
Created my own little recipe.
1 T light olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Juice of 1/2 lime
dash of salt
few grinds of fresh pepper
1 T fresh chives
12 shrimp tails on, thawed
3 skewers or foil
In a medium size bowl, stir together the first six ingredients. Add shrimp and lightly toss. Let sit for ONLY a minute or two minutes. If you own skewers, place four shrimp per skewer. Place on grill for about 1 minute per side or place shrimp on a foil bed, sides raised and cook. Shrimp are done when the shell turns pink and the flesh turns opaque. They will cook quickly.
Roasted Yellow Crookneck Squash
My sister taught me how to make this simply delicious summer time vegetable. It's a favorite.
Thinly slice squash lengthwise about 1/4" thick
Place on a bed of foil, lightly oiled with olive oil.
Sprinkle with water, freshly ground pepper to taste and grated Parmesan Reggiano, about 1-2 tablespoons. Place foil bed containing squash on hot grill and cook till just tender, and cheese is melted.
You can also make this in the microwave or oven. The directions are all bit different.
To microwave, arrange sliced squash in single layer, if you can, on a microwave safe plate. Really wet a paper towel or two and cover squash. Microwave on high for about 1-3 minutes or until tender. Be careful, the water will create steam! Once tender, remove from microwave and season with pepper, and Parmesan. Serve.
Oven: Lightly grease the bottom of a baking dish with olive oil. Arrange sliced squash in a single layer in a 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with water, and season. Bake, covered, in a 350F oven for about 10 minutes, remove foil and continue baking for 5 minutes or until slightly tender and the cheese has melted. I have baked the squash in the oven uncovered, the squash tends to dry out a bit.
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