Basil straight from the garden tastes completely different to anything you buy in a shop. These are the two recipes we make most often at Monchique Homestead — a simple pesto that freezes beautifully, and a tomato basil mozzarella that is one of the best things summer produces.
For everything you need to know about growing your own basil, read: How to Grow Sweet Basil
Homemade basil pesto
This is a practical, everyday pesto — not the expensive restaurant version. The official recipe calls for pine nuts, but good quality almonds or walnuts work just as well and are far more affordable. Use whatever you have.
Ingredients
- Sweet basil leaves — enough to fill a blender jar two thirds full
- 3 to 4 handfuls of nuts (almonds, walnuts or pine nuts)
- Juice of half a lemon
- 2 to 3 cloves of garlic
- Parmesan or similar hard cheese — added at serving, not before storing
Method
Fill your blender jar two thirds full with fresh basil leaves. Add the nuts, lemon juice and garlic. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the garlic or lemon as needed.
To freeze: portion the pesto into ice cube trays or small containers before freezing. Frozen pesto is difficult to cut, so portioning before freezing saves a lot of frustration. Add the grated cheese when you serve it, not before storing.
To store in jars: leave out the cheese entirely. Add a little extra lemon juice — this lowers the pH, keeps the colour bright green and prevents the growth of harmful bacteria. Refrigerate and use within a week, or process the jars properly for longer storage.
A quick meal: pesto with pasta and dried tomatoes. When there is no time or energy to cook something elaborate, this takes ten minutes and tastes like summer.
Tomato basil mozzarella
This is one of those recipes that only works properly when the tomatoes and basil come straight from the garden. Supermarket tomatoes do not have the same flavour and the difference is noticeable. When your tomatoes and basil are both ready at the same time — usually July and August — make this as often as you can.
Ingredients (serves 2 as a starter or side)
- 3 to 4 ripe tomatoes from the garden
- 1 ball of fresh mozzarella
- A generous handful of large fresh basil leaves
- Good quality balsamic vinegar
- A pinch of sea salt
- Optional: a drizzle of olive oil
Method
Slice the tomatoes into rounds about 1 to 2 cm thick. Arrange them on a large plate in a single layer. Slice the mozzarella to a similar thickness and lay a slice on top of each tomato. Place one large basil leaf on top of each piece of mozzarella. Drizzle generously with balsamic vinegar. Add a pinch of sea salt and a drizzle of olive oil if you like. Serve immediately — this dish does not wait well.
The key: use the ripest tomatoes you can find and do not refrigerate them before serving. Cold tomatoes lose their flavour. Room temperature is everything here.
For more recipes from our homestead kitchen, browse our Easy Recipes collection.
