Heirloom Tomatoes and Cucumber on Fresh Basil Leaves

Summer Basil leaves are plentiful in August in our container garden. I like to make Basil Pesto and Caprese Salads too, but sometimes the best is the most simple  to make. I get my heirloom tomatoes mostly from Harris Teeter .I prepare a bed of fresh basil leaves along the lines of a kaleidoscope and add the tomatoes and cucumbers to follow the same pattern. I season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. I drizzle some balsamic vinaigrette . Yum !The recipe for the vinaigrette has been posted on the blog as an earlier recipe. Enjoy!

Basil Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes and Fresh Mozzarella

I wait all year long to get fresh basil from our container garden to make this recipe.I admit you have to really love the smell and taste of basil to like this dish.When I add heirloom tomatoes from the farmers market I am in culinary heaven.The ingredients below are approximate,but will feed four.

Ingredients:

About 40 large basil leaves,washed and patted dry
4 large heirloom tomatoes(no substitutes!)
12 ounces of fresh mozzarella
Balsamic vinaigrette
Salt and pepper to taste


Preparation:

On 4 salad plates,create a fan of basil leaves to form a base for the other ingredients
Thinly slice the heirloom tomatoes and place them on top of the basil following the fan shape of basil.
Cut the mozzarella into four 3 ounce pieces and place in the center of the plate like the eye of a daisy
Drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette and serve


Note:The recipe for Balsamic vinaigrette is on my blog under the November 1, 2012 posting called "Let's Talk About Salads"

Basil Pesto

Spring is here and summer is coming soon.The basil seedlings are germinating in the kitchen.I love harvesting my own basil and making basil pesto.I found out about this pesto sauce as an adult and I really love it.I combine farfalle with the pesto and top it with a mixture of cut up chicken,caramelized onions,mushrooms and asparagus. Divine!


Ingredients:

2 cups basil leaves tightly packed
4 cloves of garlic minced                                          

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Place all items in food processor and pulse until creamy sauce is formed

Chicken with Carmelized Onions and Basil Pesto

This recipe incorporates fresh basil pesto and caramelized onions -two of my favorite things.  I thought I could not make Basil Pesto until summer, but I was able to find a large bunch in my local grocery store. The recipe follows.

  Basil Pesto 

Ingredients:

 2 cups of basil pesto tightly packed
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup of extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup toasted pine nuts. Be very careful because they burn easily. I put them in the toaster
  Oven for only 2 minutes at 350 degrees
¼ cup chicken stock
3 cloves of garlic chopped
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

Place all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth

Chicken with Caramelized Onions & Mushrooms

 Ingredients:

1 lb of boneless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 large onion sliced
8 oz of button mushrooms cleaned and sliced
4 tablespoons extra virgin oil
12 oz farfalle, cooked al dente

Preparation:

Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to large fry pan. Heat until hot but not smoking
Cook chicken in large fry pan until lightly browned .Remove and set   aside
Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the same pan and heat oil over medium high heat
Sauté onions until they take on the color of real maple syrup about 10 minutes
In separate pan, cook mushrooms using the final tablespoon of olive oil
Mushrooms have a lot of water in them. You must cook them until no more steam is
formed.  They will then start to brown. This takes about 15 minutes
Add mushrooms and chicken to the pan of caramelized onions and heat thoroughly

Assembly:

Place cooked farfalle in a large bowl
Add ½ cup of pesto and stir until pasta is a shade of light green
Add chicken, onion and mushroom mixture to bowl
Mix thoroughly and serve 

Serves 4

                                                             Photo by Buzz Krivonak