Maybe summer is the true tease. I don't know.
I love all seasons but I have a special affection for fall. For the last few weeks of every August my body starts to crave heartier, spicier, warmer foods. I really should try to be more patient.
I made a quick trip to the farmers' market a few Tuesdays ago with every intention to leave with a sack of assorted root vegetables. On my walk I saw visions of swirling potatoes in all colors and sizes, beets ready for roasting, and dusty carrots and onions just begging to accompany a few chopped ribs of celery at the bottom of a soup pot. Until a quick shock to the nose from a huge bucket of basil shattered my daydreams like a jagged rock to a windshield. I kid you not when I tell you that I could detect the wonderfully unmistakable scent of basil from a block and a half away.
And the roots can wait!
This happened to be one of those warmer weeks, and because of this, I decided to go with it and buy only what wouldn't be locally available once the Season truly settles in and makes herself cozy. I left with 2 gorgeous Jersey tomatoes, red as rubies, a couple of ears of bicolor sweet corn, and an enormous bunch of that sweet, sweet basil.
Thus my basil cooking week, a kind of ode to the versatile herb, was born. I silently vowed to use every last leaf as I brainstormed ideas on the walk home. If you'd have seen this bunch you'd have agreed that this was a pretty lofty goal.
Anyway, let me get to the point of this post and tell you what I made.
There was garlicky basil pesto with gnocchi one night. Baked tilapia fillets were smeared with pesto and dusted with panko bread crumbs another night (so easy, and so so tasty). I cut the corn from the cob, sauteed in olive oil with garlic and shallot, then tossed with shredded basil and sea salt for a super quick side dish. I usually go for heftier pastas with some (forgive me) girth and bite to them. I think that, however, I'll forever make an exception for spaghettini with lemon, basil, and pecorino. I varied the original recipe found on recipezaar.com slightly by substituting pecorino for parmesan and grating it coarsely instead of finely. It also calls for 1/2 cup of olives, which I omitted. I'll share the recipe I made with you here:
Spaghettini with lemon, basil, and pecorino
adapted from recipezaar.com
1 lb dried spaghettini
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 handful fresh basil leaves, torn into rough pieces, stems removed
1 1/4 cups coarsely grated pecorino romano
sea salt and cracked pepper to taste
Cook pasta in boiling salted water until just al dente. As pasta cooks, whisk together olive oil with lemon juice in a bowl, then stir in cheese, salt, and pepper. Reserve a ladleful of water separately from the pasta pot before draining. (I forget to do this almost every time). Return pasta to the pot. Mix in sauce immediately and toss with basil. Add reserved pasta water one tablespoon full at a time, if needed, to thin out the sauce and to better coat the pasta. Serve immediately.
I also made a basil cheesecake, but I think I'll wait to share that recipe until I try making it again. The result was pretty good, but I actually preferred the raw batter to the baked cake. (In fact, I think it would make an amazing ice cream flavor: lemon basil cheesecake batter. Doesn't that just sound incredible?) I could (and did) eat it with a spoon.
