From the Herbal Garden - Basil

FROM THE HERBAL GARDEN - BASIL
By Sonia R. Martinez
(for the May 09 issue of the Hamakua Times of Honoka'a)

I received a phone call recently from a reader wanting to learn a little bit more about using fresh herbs.

We are so lucky that most herbs are almost perennials and will grow without much care and little tending in certain parts of our island.

There are many books on growing, tending and using herbs. I have found several interesting books on the subject and will give some information at the bottom of this column.

Obviously you can grow herbs from seeds by following the planting instructions on the seed packets, but if you are like me, who likes instant gratification, rooting from cuttings or buying plants at your favorite nursery is the way to go.

Choose a cool, cloudy day, if at all possible, to plant your herbs. They will adapt better to their new home if they don't have to fight the hot sun their first day in the ground. Water them thoroughly the day before you plant them so that their root system is already moist when you set them in the ground. Another good idea is to also water ahead of time the already cleared and prepared area where you are planting your herb garden.

Since these are culinary herbs, remember to not use chemical fertilizers or pesticides in your herb garden. I like to save all the raw vegetable clippings, cuttings, peelings when cooking and compost them right into the herb garden. 

To fight pests, plant companion plants that repel insects - such as marigolds, which are also edible and look beautiful, mixed in with your herbs. You can also make your own pesticide spray with chile (or any hot) peppers! See instructions for making your own quick compost or bug spray below.

In our little garden we have two types of basil, sweet and Thai; three types of oregano, Greek, stick and Cuban oregano; marjoram, thyme, mint, rosemary and chives.

Fresh herbs are not as strong as dried. If a recipe calls for dried herbs and you wish to substitute with fresh, remember to use one tablespoon of fresh for every teaspoon of dried called in the recipe.

EASY BLENDER PESTO

When making pesto always use the best fresh ingredients you can find. There are many varieties of basil and they all have a slightly different taste. I usually use the Sweet Basil for pesto but have also used Thai basil on occasions.

This is my version using macnuts instead of the traditional pine nuts. The taste of the pesto will be milder if you add a few tablespoons of butter or heavy cream at the time of using.

2 cups tightly packed fresh basil leaves, washed, dried on paper towels

3 Tablespoons chopped and toasted macadamia nuts
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil or to taste
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and halved, or to taste
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmeggiano

Put basil, nuts, salt, garlic and olive oil in blender. Blend at high speed till smooth. You may need to stop the blender a few times to scrape down the sides. Remove from blender and add the freshly grated cheese.

Before tossing pesto into pasta, add a little bit of the liquid in which the pasta was cooked, and then toss with the pasta.

It will keep in the refrigerator for a few days, or you can prepare and freeze for a few months. If you plan to refrigerate it, store in clean jar and add a small amount of olive oil on top and cover tightly, otherwise basil will turn dark.

You can also freeze it in ice cube trays, which makes it easy to throw one or two cubes in a pan when making a sauce for pasta.

PESTO QUICHE

A foodie friend in New York City shared a recipe for a pesto quiche recently.  If your man is one of those who claim he will not eat quiche, tell him it's a basil and egg pie.
When mixing the filling, I found that I preferred the taste of the pesto a bit stronger than the original recipe.  I also made it creamier by changing the milk for cream and adding more ricotta than the amount called for.

I took it to a dinner party and everyone loved it.  When I bake a pie or quiche I usually will make more than one at a time.  This recipe doubles easily.  If you don't eat both at one meal, cover, seal and freeze the extra ones for later meals.

For the Pesto:
Use the recipe given above or your favorite pesto recipe

For the quiche:
1 deep dish 9" pie shell or use your favorite pie crust recipe
2 teaspoons, heaped, prepared rough Country Mustard
4 cloves fresh garlic, chopped small
1 medium onion - chopped small
3 Tablespoons butter - melted in sauté pan
3 large eggs - beaten
1 cup cream or half & half
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup prepared pesto (see recipe above)
Grated fresh Parmeggiano cheese

Prepare or purchase pie shell.

Place the mustard in the bottom of the shell and 'paint' the bottom and sides of the shell using a pastry brush.   This trick with the mustard is one I do with all savory pies or quiches.
Partially bake shell in moderate oven, 350°F for 5 minutes.

Peel and finely chop garlic and onion. Sauté in butter until translucent.
Lightly beat eggs in a medium bowl. Mix in the cream and the ricotta.  Add the garlic and onion mix and the prepared pesto. Mix until well blended.

Pour mixture into crust and sprinkle enough grated Parmeggiano to cover the top evenly.
Bake in top 1/3 section of oven at 350°F for about 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly browned. Let it settle for a few minutes.  Cut and serve!

MAKING YOUR OWN BUG SPRAY:
3 cups water
12 to 15 Hawaiian red chile peppers
2 Teaspoons of liquid dish detergent

Using a blender, pour in one cup of water and red chile peppers.
Process until all blended and chopped. Add the other two cups of water to this mix and blend again. Pour into a glass jar, cover and let it sit in the sun for a couple of days, as if making sun tea.

Pour into a spray bottle, first passing it through a sieve or fine mesh colander; add the liquid detergent at this point. Spray on your affected plants.

The detergent will help the spray adhere to the plants. Don't spray food that you will eat within a couple of days, as the capsaicin will still be too strong and can cause finger and mouth burns. Be sure to rinse the vegetables in lots of fresh water before consuming.

MAKING YOUR OWN LIQUID COMPOST:
I like to save all the vegetable peelings and bit pieces not used in cooking in a plastic bucket. At the end of the day we put them in a blender with water and process until smooth.

Use this raw liquid veggie mixture to water your herbs or vegetable garden by pouring it right around the stem of each plant. If you don't have enough to water all your plants at one time, water them in sections each day. Obviously, this is not practical for very large gardens, but it works great in ours and also if you plant your herbs in pots around your lanai or terrace.

A few of my books on herbs:
Basil by Janet Hazen - Chronicle Books - ISBN-0-8118-0170-5
Herbs & Spices by Christian Teubner - ISBN-1-898250-95-2
The Complete Book of Herbs by Andi Clevely and Katherine Richmond -
ISBN - 0-8317-1164-7
Herb & Spices by Mary Trewby - ISBN-0-89586-813- x
The Herbal Palate by Maggie Oster and Sal Gilbertie - ISBN-0-88266-
915-X
Beautiful Easy Herbs by Laurence Sombke - ISBN-0-87596-771 X
Mint by Lorenz Books - ISBN - 1-85967-488-7
Tomatoes Love Herbs by Ruth Bass - ISBN-0-88266-931-1
Desserts from an Herb Garden by Sharon Kebschull Barrett -ISBN-0-312-20581-3