I planted things this summer and they didn’t all die! And then I cooked with some of them! This is extremely exciting to me. I grew up in parched-ass southern Arizona with a “yard” full of spiky whatnots that my parents usually just paid other people to tend to, so I have limited experience growing things.
Some things I tried to grow did die, namely, all of the vegetables I attempted (oops) but Mr. W messed up the spacing when he planted those so I blame him.
Growin’ thangs!
This summer I had success with basil and parsley. Thyme too, actually, but I keep forgetting it’s there. Here are two recipes I used to transform my leafy bounty into deliciousness. I like making these because they are super easy but take whatever main course you apply them to up a notch.
You can also freeze both-for the pesto, don’t add cheese if you are planning to freeze. To freeze I recommend using a baking sheet and saran wrap, creating smallish individual dollops. When frozen, wrap up each blob and then stick into ziplock bags for double-wrapped goodness.
Chimichurri (good on meat, fish, tofu, freezer burned veggie burger patty, etc.):
Combine in blender or food processor:
- Shitton of parsley
- Good sized splash red wine vinegar
- Bigger sized splash olive oil (add more if sauce is too chunky)
- A couple to a few garlic cloves
- Big pinch dried oregano
- Salt and pepper to taste
Pesto (delightful atop eggs, sandwiches, any sort of pasta or grain including rice or quinoa)
Combine in blender or food processor:
- Lots o basil (at least two cups, packed)
- Hearty handful walnuts or pine nuts
- Couple garlic cloves
- About a half-cup Parmesan cheese (don’t add if you plan to freeze)
- Squeeze of lemon (optional, meaning I don’t actually remember if I used this but I think pesto will be fine either way)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Olive oil-stream in until pesto hits desired consistency