Carol’s Comfort Foods

I found this recipe in Lora Brady’s Slow Cooker Cooking cookbook and it’s a great way to use the rosemary or basil that you have growing in your garden this summer. You can use it to flavor pasta, vegetables or great for dipping with good Italian bread.

Yield: 1 cup

INGREDIENTS

1 cup mild olive oil

¼ cup packed chopped rosemary leaves

PREPARATION

Place the oil and the rosemary in the insert of the slow cooker. Cook on HIGH, uncovered for 1-1/2 to 2 hours and then turn the slow cooker off. Allow the oil to cool for about 20 minutes and then pour it through a sieve lined with a clean paper towel or paper coffee filter into a metal bowl. When the oil is completely cooled, transfer it to a clean glass jar and refrigerate for up to 1 month, after that the flavor may fade. The oil may cloud up under refrigeration, but it will become clear again at room temperature.

Basil Infused Oil

Follow the same procedure as above for rosemary infused oil when preparing basil infused oil. Use 1 cup of oil and 1/3 to ½ cup of packed roughly chopped fresh basil leaves. Strain and store as with the rosemary oil.

Flat Leaf or Italian Variety

Parsley is a fresh-flavored herb with a slightly peppery taste. It is commonly used as a flavoring or garnish. There are a number of varieties of this herb, but the most common varieties are curly-leaf and the more strongly flavored Italian or flat-leaf parsley. Both varieties can be found in supermarkets year round and are sold in bunches. Fresh parsley should have bright green leaves with no signs of “yellowing” or wilting. Fresh parsley can be stored for about one week in the refrigerator after washing, wrapping in paper towels and storing in a plastic bag. Dried parsley is also available in the spice section of the supermarket, but does not resemble freshly chopped parsley in appearance or flavor.

Rosemary is native to the Mediterranean where it grows wild, but it is now cultivated throughout Europe and the United States. Rosemary is a member of the mint family with silver green, needle-shaped leaves. It is highly aromatic, with flavor that hints of lemon and pine. Rosemary can be used to season a variety of dishes including soups, vegetables, roasted or grilled meats (particularly pork, lamb or chicken), eggs and stuffings. Rosemary can be used fresh or dried in its whole leaf form, as well as in a powdered form.

I grow it in the garden and use it frequently. It’s so great to just step out the back door and pluck off a few branches to use when I’m roasting a chicken or pork tenderloin. Other uses for rosemary is to infuse olive oil with rosemary and use it for drizzling over pasta or soaking it up with French bread.

Chives belong to the same family as onions, leeks and garlic. They grow in clumps from an underground bulb. Chive leaves are round and hollow and produce large round purple or pink flower heads in June or July.

Chives have a mild onion flavor, similar to a green onion. Growing chives is easy. They thrive in full sun and are drought resistant. They do well in a pot on your deck or planted in the ground. After the chive plant has reached approximately 6 inches in height, you can harvest the leaves off the plant, leaving at least 2 inches at the bottom. Once cut, chives can be stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for about one week. They also can be frozen in a freezer bag, for quick use when needed.

Typically, we think of chives for a topping on baked potatoes, however they can be used in a variety of dishes including cream sauces, eggs and breads. Try substituting chives for parsley in my Ricotta Eggs on Toasted French Bread. It will add a delicate onion flavor to the eggs. Nice compliment to the ricotta cheese.

There are over 30 varieties of mint with the two most popular being peppermint and spearmint. Peppermint has bright green leaves, purple-tinged stems, a peppery taste and a more pungent aroma than spearmint. In contrast, spearmint leaves are gray-green or true green and have a milder flavor and fragrance. Mint grows wild throughout the world and is cultivated in Europe, United States and Asia.

Mint is easy to grow, however take care of where you plant mint. You need to plant it in a place where it will not overtake your other herbs. Left on its own, mint will spread like crazy throughout your garden.

When purchasing mint at the supermarket, look for leaves that are evenly colored with no signs of wilting. Mint can be stored, stems down in a glass of water with a plastic bag over the leaves in the refrigerator for about one week. Make sure that you change the water every few days to maximize freshness.

Fresh mint can be used in both savory and sweet dishes and drinks, as well as a great garnish to finish off many deserts. Two of the most notable uses for mint are in cocktails, the traditional Mint Julep and more recently, the popular Mojito.

There are several varieties of this mint-family herb. Garden thyme, the most common variety, is a bush plant with gray-green leaves. It has a pungent, minty, light-lemon aroma. Sub-varieties include French thyme, English and Lemon thyme, which has a pronounced lemon aroma. Thyme can be found fresh in the supermarkets or dried in a powder form.

For general purposes, any of the garden thymes are a good choice to use in flavoring vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, soups and cream sauces. During the summer, you can grow thyme in pots on your deck and bring them indoors when the weather turns cool and set it by a sunny window. If you live in a mild climate, you can keep it outdoors year round.

Use this versatile herb in recipes like Thyme Biscuits or Fresh Herb Dip.

Basil is an annual plant that is a member of the mint family. It was referred to by ancient Greeks as the “royal herb”. Fresh basil has a pungent flavor that can be described as a cross between licorice and cloves. Basil is used frequently in Mediterranean and Italian cooking. However, it is becoming more and more popular in American cuisine. Most varieties of basil have green leaves. Basil is a summer herb, but can be grown successfully indoors during the winter in a sunny window.

When purchasing basil, look for evenly colored leaves with no sign of wilting. The best way to store basil is to wrap it in barely damp paper towels, store in a plastic bag and then refrigerate. The basil will keep for about 4 days. There are a variety of ways to use basil and it can be used to flavor meats, fish, soups, vegetables and pasta dishes. Some of the most common ways to use basil is in a pesto sauce or in tomato based sauces and dishes.

Pesto is a versatile sauce to have on hand. It can be frozen and pulled out of the freezer and tossed with fresh pasta for a quick meal. If you are going to freeze pesto, add the cheese after you have thawed the pesto. Pesto sauce is simple to make and a great way to use the basil that you plant this summer. Below is a simple recipe:

Pesto Sauce

Makes 1 cup

INGREDIENTS

2 cups fresh basil leaves

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

3 medium sized garlic cloves – minced

1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts (rough chop walnuts before processing)

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano cheese

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

PREPARATION

In a food processor, combine basil with pine nuts or walnuts. Pulse a few times. Add the garlic, pulse a few more times. Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop and scrap down the sides of the processor bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse until blended. Add a pinch of salt and grated black pepper to taste.

Once you’ve mastered the basic pesto sauce, you can use it as the foundation for other great sauces, like the cream basil sauce in my Chicken With Linguine in Basil Cream Sauce recipe.