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| Pignoli nuts stay fresh for months in a freezer |
Farm stands and markets are awash in basil right now. You can buy large bunches of squeaky fresh leaves for very little cash. I usually take this opportunity to make one or two batches of pesto, which I freeze in small quantities. Although many recipes say that cheese doesn't freeze well, I have not noticed that my thawed pesto (which includes cheese) is appreciably different from fresh. So I include all the ingredients before freezing.
I slather pesto on pizza dough before adding anything else; I also spread it on bread that I'm using for panini; and for a quick lunch, I smear some on French bread before topping it with thick slices of tomatoes.
Basil has a minty taste, and is also good served with certain fruits. I've used it in a watermelon salad
that is hearty enough to eat as a complete meal. I've also seen several recipes for basil ice cream, but I've never tried it. If you have, let me know.
I ADORE basil. I use it in place of lettuce on sandwiches (take THAT, boring BLT!), in my salads - including fruit, and bruising a sprig with ice and pouring seltzer over it is just wonderful.
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