June Recipe: Classic Fresh Pesto Sauce

One of the best ways to enjoy an abundant basil harvest. Visit our online catalog to see the 11 varieties of basil we carry.

3 1/2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 large cloves garlic (more if you love it)
1 1/2 tsp. fresh oregano or 3/4 tsp. dried
1 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper (or to taste)
1/2 to 2/3 cup fruity extra virgin olive oil
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese
1/2 cup pine nuts or pecan meats
Salt to taste

Combine all the ingredients except the cheese and nuts in a food processor or blender, adding enough olive oil to make a thick, smooth sauce. Add the nuts and cheese and combine, then add salt to taste.

Serve immediately over any kind of pasta, rice, hot baked potatoes, cooked spaghetti squash, baked chicken pieces, baked or BBQ salmon.

Makes about 2 cups (enough to combine with 4 servings of pasta).

If you are planning to freeze excess sauce, leave out the garlic and add when you are ready to use.

For more great recipes check out
 Renee's Cookbooks:

Recipes from a Kitchen Garden
More Recipes from a Kitchen Garden

Newsletter Recipe: Baked Stuffed Fresh Tomatoes

From our September 2012 E-Newsletter

A perfectly delicious way to enjoy your biggest, juiciest, sun-kissed garden beauties as a main course; just toss a simple green salad to join them. I always make a full recipe even if serving just a few friends, because the stuffed tomatoes are equally good for lunch or dinner the next day, heated up in the microwave.

9 to 10 large ripe tomatoes
1 pound mild (sweet) Italian sausage
3/4 cup uncooked Arborio or long grain rice
4 large cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chopped fresh basil
3/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
3/4 cup freshly grated Asiago or Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Slice tops off tomatoes and set aside. Carve out the inside of the tomatoes, leaving the shell intact. Coarsely chop the tomato pulp. Drain, reserving the juices separately. Put the pulp in a bowl and set the pulp and juices aside.

Remove the casings from the sausage and crumble the sausage into a deep skillet. Sauté over medium heat, stirring to break up the meat until it loses all its pink color and fat is rendered. Drain and discard fat.

Combine the chopped tomato pulp, uncooked rice, garlic, basil, parsley, cheese, cooked crumbled sausage, and add the salt and freshly ground pepper.

Liberally oil a 9 x 12-inch ovenproof baking pan with 2 tablespoons of the oil and place the tomato shells in it, open side up. Stuff each tomato with the tomato mixture and then replace their reserved tops. Pour over the reserved tomato juice and dribble the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over the tops.

Bake for about 60 minutes or until rice is just tender and tops of tomatoes are nicely browned. Cool in pan, and serve while still warm.

Serves 9-10 

For more great recipes check out
 Renee's Cookbooks:

Recipes from a Kitchen Garden
More Recipes from a Kitchen Garden