End of summer treat: basil pesto

Where did summer go? Well, I do know where some of it went - much of it was consumed by a constant routine of doctor's appointments in preparation for the arrival of a new child - now imminently on the horizon. Summer has both gone quickly as I've tried to pack in as much as possible before the new arrival, and in some ways slowly as I've been physically slow and limited. We've stayed close to home on the weekends, enjoyed guests, cooked in and enjoyed just hanging out together.

To make things easier, we signed up for a new food subscription service that brings carefully selected farmer's market produce and thoughtful, simple recipes to your door.  It helped keep my appreciation of fresh produce and interesting artisanal ingredients alive even when the thought of hauling produce back from the farmer's market was impossible or the challenge of exploring a new recipe seemingly insurmountable.  Between that, our garden and the farm markets upstate, we've had direct-from-farm ingredients all summer including a constant supply of fresh eggs and wonderful milk.  I bought a beautiful, light, handmade basket to transport vegetables from our own garden as a special treat and an incentive to stand out in the heat.  Lately the tomatoes and raspberries in particular have been ready for harvest by the boat-load - we've enjoyed picking and trying to eat them as fast as they appear.

This weekend I realized I had almost forgotten the pleasure of harvesting the big, bushy basil that is almost waist-high at this point.  We brought in a basketful of leaves and then enjoyed processing several batches of pesto - some of which I'll freeze so we can enjoy it longer.  Last summer's frozen bounty was destroyed by the days without electricity during the hurricane.  Maybe we'll make a point to consume it faster this year so we don't expose ourselves again to that risk.

Homemade pesto

4 cups firmly packed basil leaves, washed and dried
1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted in a dry skillet until golden brown
1/4-1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic
Juice from 1/2 lemon to maintain bright green color of the basil
Olive oil to taste/desired consistency
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a food processor, pulse garlic until minced.  Add basil leaves, a several generous pinches of salt and pepper, and pulse until roughly chopped.  Add pine nuts and pulse ~5 times until nuts are roughly chopped.  Add cheese.  While food processor is running, continuously stream olive oil through the food chute until a homogenous paste is formed.  Process less for a chunkier pesto or more for a finer pesto.  Squeeze lemon juice over pesto and pulse a few times to combine.  Adjust seasonings to taste. 

Olive oil brownies

I stumbled upon a recent post on The Traveler's Lunchbox about a new Italian cookbook that features a recipe for brownies made with olive oil rather than butter. I was immediately intrigued – not only because the cookbook itself got a rave review, but also because one of my favorite cake recipes is Mario Batali’s zucchini olive oil cake, also made with olive oil rather than butter. The zucchini olive oil cake is light and airy, and has a subtle fruitiness that you would never imagine comes from olive oil. It is truly a secret ingredient.

The brownie recipe comes from Faith Heller Willinger’s new cookbook, Adventures of an Italian Food Lover. Olive oil and chocolate struck me as a particularly nice combination. I had to try the brownies. Luckily a family dinner presented an excuse for baking.

The recipe was quick and simple and delivered a moist batter that did not disappoint (well, I was not disappointed). I particularly loved the salt in the recipe which seemed to stand out against the chocolate much more than it would have had the brownies been laden with butter. Interestingly, half of the guests at the dinner loved the brownies for their moist non-cake-y texture and the other half lamented the richness of butter, and felt the chocolate was somehow not quite chocolate-y enough. Argh! I loved them and I’d happily make them again (skipping the nuts which I always feel are just in the way). I am also intrigued by Faith’s cookbook and have it squarely on my wish list.

Olive oil brownies (all text that follows reprinted verbatim from the Traveler's Lunchbox)

Source: adapted from Adventures of an Italian Food Lover by Faith Heller Willinger

4 ounces (115g) finest quality bittersweet chocolate (at least 70% cocoa), chopped
1/3 cup (80ml) fruity extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup (70g) all-purpose/plain flour (Faith prefers using a soft flour like Italian type 00 or White Lily; if you go this route add an extra tablespoon)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup (150g) superfine/caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup (70g) lightly toasted hazelnuts, chopped (Faith uses walnuts)
whipped cream, for serving (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350F/175C. Line an 8-inch (20cm) square baking pan with a lightly oiled and floured piece of parchment paper that overhangs the pan on two sides (this aids in removal later).

Melt the chocolate over low heat on the stovetop or in the microwave and whisk in the oil. Let cool.

Mix the flour and salt together in a small bowl. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until pale, thickened and billowy, about five minutes. Fold in the vanilla and the cooled chocolate mixture, then fold in the flour and optional nuts, stirring just until everything is combined. Pour into the prepared pan and distribute evenly.

Bake for 22-26 minutes (note from the Traveler's Lunchbox: I would recommend checking earlier to avoid over-baking - mine were just on the verge after 22 minutes). The top will be dry and crackly, though a toothpick inserted in the center should emerge still a little wet. Cool completely, then cut into squares. Serve with whipped cream, if desired.

Pantry pasta: linguine with garlic and olive oil

If I could only eat one type of food it would definitely be pasta. I love all shapes and textures and the endless variety of sauces from basic to sophisticated. My favorite pasta of all time is the simplest: linguine with olive oil and garlic. It’s pantry pasta: it can be whipped up in a few minutes with ingredients you probably already have on hand. It’s great for dinner and the leftovers are also delicious cold the next day (or the next several days!). The only tricky thing about my favorite recipe, which is from Cook's Illustrated, is watching the garlic. Cook it for too long and you have unpleasant burnt garlic. Under-cook it and you have garlic that’s too strong and raw. The trick is to stand at the stove watching it while it cooks and remove it as soon as it starts to turn golden, remembering that it will continue to cook for a little bit once you remove it from the heat. My cookbook is dog-eared and splattered with olive oil on this recipe's page as I have made it so many times.

Spaghetti (or linguine which I prefer) with Garlic and Olive Oil from Cook's Illustrated's The Best Recipe

The garlic is quickly and easily pureed with a garlic press. Alternatively, you can mince it with a chef’s knife, sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt, and continue to mince to a paste, but be sure to reduce the amount of salt cooked with the oil and garlic to 1/2 teaspoon. Diluting the garlic with a bit of water before sautéing ensures a mild, even garlic flavor and helps to prevent burning. Although not a pantry item, parsley adds a fresh herbal flavor and should be used if you have some on hand. If you like, cook 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more to taste) along with the garlic and oil.

Serves 4

4 medium cloves garlic , peeled, processed through garlic press, and mixed with 1 teaspoon water (see note)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Table salt
1 pound spaghetti or linguine
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves (optional)
Ground black pepper

1. Heat oil, garlic, optional pepper flakes, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in small skillet over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until garlic turns golden but not brown, about 5 minutes; remove pan from heat.

2. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta; cook until al dente. Reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid, drain pasta and return to pot. Add garlic mixture, reserved pasta cooking liquid, and optional parsley; toss well to coat. Adjust seasoning with salt and ground black pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Zucchini olive oil cake from Mario Batali

This sounds a little weird but somehow zucchini and olive oil make a great combination. I've made it several times and it's always a hit - it's moist, sweet and fruity and very easy to make.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
zest of 1 lemon, finely grated
2 cups of shredded zucchini
1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and spices. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the sugar, eggs and oil until light. Add the vanilla and lemon zest, followed by the dry ingredients, beating thoroughly to combine. Add the zucchini and walnuts.

Pour into a greased 13-inch by 9-inch cake pan.

Bake the cake 35-40 minutes, or until it is golden brown on top and springy to the touch in the center. Dust the top of the cake with confectioner's sugar and serve.