Foodie Fridays - Two Salads Featuring Basil

This week's recipes feature my absolute favorite, favorite herb, ocimum basilicum, or basil. The quintessential smell of summer. ( Want a rush? Bury your nose in a handful of fresh basil, and breathe deeply... oh my.) As a side note, I own a little gem of a book, called The Pesto Manifesto: Recipes for Basil and Beyond; all recipes including basil is some form, including pigs in the blanket (w/pesto) and even cheesecake! (Yes, the author is a basil fanatic after my own heart.. the back cover sports a shot of her playing violin to her huge basil patch, which would be me ...if I played violin.)

Enjoy!

SUMMER SQUASH AND BASIL SALAD

 
3-4 medium summer squash (zucchini, yellow), julienned
2-3 T. fresh basil, chopped
1 small sweet onion, sliced
3-4 T. Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Toss together.

¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
½ t. salt
¼ t. pepper
¼ t. sugar

Combine and pour over the salad. Mix and serve.

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WARM LEMON-BASIL POTATO SALAD

2 ½ pounds small Yukon Gold potatoes or new potatoes cut into 1/8ths
Vegetable cooking spray
¼ cup lemon juice
4 garlic cloves, minced or 4 cloves roasted garlic
¾ cup chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard or Creole mustard
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2/3 cup olive oil
½ medium size purple or sweet onion, chopped
¾ lb. green beans, steamed

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Arrange potatoes evenly on a lightly greased pan. Coat with cooking spray. Bake for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally or until tender and golden.

Whisk together lemon juice and next 5 ingredients; whisk in oil in a slow, steady stream. Gently toss potato, green beans and onion with ½ cup of vinaigrette.
Option: Garnish with crumbled bacon and tomatoes. Serve on a bed of fresh spinach.



 

Brought to you by Denise and Yvonne of "Cooking for Real", in Chester County, PA