A Basil Bounty at Summer’s End

Basil certainly reigns at my table this time of year, shredded in fresh tomato and mozzarella salad, floating on chilled egg-lemon soup and pulverized in pesto. Pesto is a strictly seasonal dish depending on the surge of basil at summer’s end.

EGGPLANT PESTO

Salt

2 medium eggplants, or 4 slender Japanese eggplants, peeled and sliced

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 white onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, crushed and minced

3/4 cup fresh basil, minced

2 tablespoons water

3/4 cup walnuts, chopped

1/4 cup fresh tofu, well drained

Freshly ground pepper

Salt both sides of eggplant slices and drain on paper towels 30 minutes. Pat dry and cut into cubes.

Heat olive oil in large skillet and saute onion and garlic until onion is tender and translucent. Add eggplant and saute until cubes begin to brown. Add 1/4 cup basil and water. Stir well, cover, lower heat and steam until eggplant is tender. Puree in blender or food processor.

Add walnuts, remaining 1/2 cup basil and tofu. Blend or process to combine, taking care not to liquefy. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes 3 1/2 cups.

Note: Serve over pasta, as dip for raw vegetables, filling for cherry tomatoes or complement to fresh mozzarella cheese.

In her book “Good Tastes” (Knopf, 1985), Sherry Golden suggests this method for preserving fresh basil for use year-round.

BASIL CUBES

4 cloves garlic

2 cups basil leaves

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup olive oil

Place garlic in food processor or blender and process until minced very fine. Add basil leaves and process. Add salt. Then add oil gradually to bind basil. Spoon into plastic ice cube trays and freeze. When solid, remove frozen cubes and store, frozen, in plastic bags. Makes 6 cubes.

Note: Pop into soups and sauces for burst of fresh basil.