Freeze Fresh Basil In Olive Oil For Use Year-Round

Basil is one of my favorite year-round seasonings because it’s so versatile. Its flavor is potent enough to hold up to culinary staples like tomato sauce, bean and pasta soups, and pestos.

I harvest plenty of fresh basil in September to freeze for year-round use. Once minced, then packed into ice cube trays, each section can be covered with a drizzle of olive oil to keep the basil from browning. Unmold the cubes when frozen solid and store in plastic zipper bags in the freezer. Much stronger and tastier than the dried equivalent, fresh basil tastes like midsummer, an especially welcome flavor when winter is upon us again.

My favorite fresh basil pesto is flavored with plenty of garlic, a small amount of fresh parsley and a spoonful of miso paste, a soybean-based seasoning available in natural food stores and Asian markets. The miso is an unusual addition that gives the pesto a rich flavor and beautifully offsets the tang of the basil leaves. It also replaces some of the oil and cheese called for in my original recipe.

Sweet Basil Pesto

1-1/2 cups fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts or walnuts

1/4 cup olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

1 tablespoon miso paste

1/4 to 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Process all ingredients in a food processor or blender until pastelike, but not liquid. Pack into ice cube trays and freeze. Remove cubes from trays when frozen solid and store in plastic bag or freezer container, or refrigerate in small jar. Drizzle with olive oil to prevent browning.

Yield: 2 cups.

Soupe au Pistou

Serve this hearty, full-meal vegetable soup with fresh brown or sourdough French bread and a large garden salad.

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/3 cup dry sherry or apple juice

1 cup sliced onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup chopped carrots

1/2 cup sliced leeks

1 cup peeled and diced potatoes

1/3 cup cooked white or pinto beans

6 cups vegetable or defatted chicken stock or water

1/2 cup pesto ,

Combine oil and sherry in Dutch oven. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes, or until limp but not browned. Add garlic, carrots, leeks and potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes.

Add beans and stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook 25 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Stir in pesto.

Yield: 4 servings.

Fresh Tomatoes With Basil Vinaigrette

A nice accompaniment to the soup is this marinated tomato salad. Be sure to use your best tomatoes; only the vine-ripened, deep red ones can carry enough flavor to balance the vinaigrette.

3 large, ripe tomatoes, cored and thickly sliced

2 tablespoons minced red onion

1 teaspoon salt or to taste

1/4 cup minced fresh basil

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons water

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Arrange tomato slices on large platter and sprinkle with onion.

Place remaining ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Pour over tomatoes. Let marinate at room temperature 10 minutes before serving.

Yield: 4 servings.