How is it April already?

Well, I am back!!!! And crazier then ever!!!! Or maybe it is just my food is crazier then ever!!!

Last night, my lovely boyfriend brought me a basil plant. That is right spring is here and it is time for herbs. So, pray for Maria 2! She has survived the first 24 hours in my care. The lovely plant shows no signs of wilting or dying....YET! Please pray and send positive vibes to a Maria 2 Segal in Georgia.

In the meantime, I am already plotting all the wonderful things I could make. For example, the basil would perfectly compliment a nice green salad with strawberries and walnuts tossed in an orange vinaigrette. Or maybe, I will throw some basil and fresh mozzarella in cous cous.

Damn it! Now, I am hungry. Well, off to the kitchen, because dinner is not going to make itself. That would involve my crockpot and prep work which I did not do.

Maria

Maria update……


My lovely basil plant, Maria has sub come to my black thumb. Unfortunately, this is not the first time plants have not faired well in my care. This is my third try at herbs!! I feel like that little kid we all knew growing up whose pets always died. After saying that, I will admit I am NOT giving up!!!!

So, I am in the market for a new basil plant. I figure if I keep trying, maybe one day I will be able to have a full herb garden that or a maid to care for an herb garden. (just kidding…kind of!!!) I would love to have a fresh garden with thyme, basil, dill, chives, rosemary, and lavender. This would enhance all my cooking and plating. Presentation can be improved by simply adding a sprig of herbs on a plate.

Right now I am still impressed that Maria 1 lasted over 3 months of my care/torture. However, it is winter time, even in Atlanta we do get freezing temperatures, so I am a little concerned. But I guess time will tell. First, I need to find a basil plant. I had no lucky at trader joes or my local grocery store.

Please keep your fingers crossed for the future Maria 2, she needs all the help she can get!!!!

Maria- the basil plant lives on!!!!!

I am happy to say that Maria, my basil plant and pesto inspiration, is still alive and well.  That is right; Maria has survived over a month in my care.  Miracles happen!  Despite the constant Georgia rain and my regular leaf harvests,  Maria is doing well.  She/It.. continues to grow at a prodigious pace, but not too fast that I can make basil the star ingredient every day.

With having my own private source of fresh basil, I have been using the basil to garnish my dishes.  This only requires a couple leaves at a time as opposed to the cup of leaves I use to make tomato soup.  I julienne (cut into strips) the bright crisp green leaves.  Depending on the dish, I may generous sprinkle the strips around the plate to add a pop of color or stack the emerald ribbons neatly in the center of the plate for a more structured effect. 

Recently, I have begun an initiative to enhance the presentation of my food.  Maria adds a functional garnish to the plate.  Instead of simply tossing a sprig of parsley on the dish that no one is meant to eat on a plate like many restaurants do, basil actually adds flavor and beauty to the dish.  I think I can attribute my love of artful presentation to watching too much of Bravo's Top Chef and the years of art classes have finally catching up with me!  (To see my experience with an Atlanta Top Chef contestant's restaurant, see my previous blog on Flip Burger.)

I spend quite a bit of time plating my food and she has proved her worth.  I guess I must continue praying that Maria avoids the curse of my black thumb!

Pesto

Pesto

Today marks my basil plants three week birthday!!! That is right; I, Allison kept a plant alive for three whole weeks. . I know it’s sad to be celebrating a plant surviving 21 days in my care, but I like to celebrate the little things!!! Normally, I have a black thumb. Many herbs have perished under my care within only a couple days. My last herb garden succumbed to disease. I am not kidding

To celebrate the birthday of my basil plant, whom I loving call Maria, I decide to harvest her to make pesto. (I don’t like tomato sauce and yes, I am quite serious.)

One of the things, I enjoy about this dish is you can prep the dish to be ready in 8-10 minutes. With little notice, it can be prepared for your loved ones. You can even precut the tomatoes and mozzarella, precook the asparagus, and make the pesto all in advance. Once your friend or roommate comes home, the hard work is finished. All that remains is to boil the pasta.


Pesto
½ cup fresh basil
¼ cup pine nuts
¼ cup of parmasean cheese
¼ cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
1 clove of garlic
Salt to taste

Place all ingredients into a blender and thoroughly blend

Pesto Pasta with mozzarella, tomatoes, and asparagus
Yes, this recipe is vegetarian. That is simply because I did not have time to go to the store for protein. However, I find the multiple servings of vegetables and cheese exceptionally filling.


Serving for 2

8 oz of fresh mozzarella
8 oz of pasta (I like Barilla Plus)
5 small tomatoes
1 cup of asparagus
Pesto from above
Salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 350

Cut the asparagus into inch long pieces and then place them on a cooking sheet. Drizzle with a little Olive Oil and freshly ground sea salt. Cook for 5 minutes for crisp asparagus. Increase cooking time for softer asparagus.

Dice the fresh mozzarella into bite-sized cubes or strips. (You want the cheese cut small, so when mixed with the warm pasta it will get gooey and yummy)

Dice tomatoes into fork size pieces.

Cook pasta and drain. Mix pasta with pesto, diced mozzarella, tomatoes, and cooked asparagus. Place on a plate and serve. To spruce up the presentation, try garnishing with a few pine nuts and fresh basil leaves.