Basil! 2 Delicious Summer Recipes

An herb that’s in abundance this time of year is basil! If you keep a garden, you’ll notice that basil is coming in huge amounts and needs to be continually harvested throughout the season. So what to do with this delicious and aromatic culinary herb? Below are two of my favorite summer recipes to utilize all that basil (and a few other seasonal summer garden produce items as well).

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But first - a little 101 about this sweet little herb:

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Health benefits of basil

Being an aromatic medicinal herb, cooking with basil (either fresh tai basil, Italian basil or holy basil / tulsi) helps to improve overall digestion and support assimilation of nutrients. It’s anti-inflammatory (especially in the upper GI/stomach) and rich in antioxidants and also magnesium. In higher doses, usually as an extract, it’s been shown to have immune supporting effects and also support blood sugar levels. The aromatic sweetness of basil adds a subtle sweet balance to otherwise more acidic vegetables such as tomatoes or peppers in recipes, and when growing basil it does well as a companion plant to these other veggies! I plant my basil in rows between my tomato plants and they grow beautifully side by side.

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Cooking with basil

Basil can be eaten fresh or lightly sautéed, and also hung to dry and used as a culinary herb for several months after drying. During the summer season, I prefer adding fresh basil to daily recipes, as the fresh herb tastes delicious and light and aromatic. Below are two of my go-to recipes to add basil to this season. If you’re growing basil currently, you’ll find it’s just exploding in gardens right now and needs to be harvested regularly, so you’re never at a loss for fresh basil through the month of July!

Fresh Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce

• 5 pounds fresh tomatoes
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp oregano
• 1 tbsp red wine
• 1 tbsp coconut palm sugar
• 12-15 fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a strong boil. Set aside a large bowl filled with ice water.
2. Gently cut a small X on the bottom of the tomatoes and blanch them in the boiling water for only about 30 seconds. You may only be able to do about 7-8 tomatoes at a time. Remove them from the boiling water and immediately transfer them to the ice water bath and let them chill out here for a few minutes.
3. Once all tomatoes are blanched, remove the skins (this is an easy process - the skins just fall off once they've been in the ice bath) and set the skinned tomatoes aside in a large bowl.
4. Take a strainer and place over a medium sized bowl. Slice tomatoes in half and scrape out the juicy interior with the seeds into to the strainer. *You want to reserve as much tomato juice as possible while straining out the seeds*. The juice will start to drip down into the bowl. Save the rest of the tomatoes and put aside in another bowl.
5. Once all tomatoes have been scraped of the seeds, press out as much juice as possible with your hands or the back of a spoon, then discard the seeds.
6. Place the reserved tomato juice in a large pan and simmer down for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the remaining skinned tomatoes and simmer together for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. You want to boil off some of the excess water so the sauce isn't too watery.
7. In another large pan, sauté the onions in olive oil on low heat until they are very tender and soft. Add in the garlic and sauté together for 3 minutes. During this time, add the red pepper flakes, salt, oregano, wine and sugar to the tomato sauce. Add in the onions and garlic and stir well. Let simmer together for 20 minutes. Add in the basil during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
8. Serve with summer spaghetti squash or regular noodles.

Strawberry, Banana & Basil Smoothie

• 1 ripe banana
• 3 large strawberries, green tops removed
• 6-7 leaves fresh basil
• 1 cup filtered water
• 2 tbsp coconut cream
• 2 Brazil nuts
• 1/2 tsp sweet cinnamon powder

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to a high speed blender and process for about 45-60 seconds until creamy.
2. Add a bit more water for a thinner consistency if desired. Pour into a large jar and sip throughout the morning.
3. Optional: Add in protein powder for a more filling and balanced smoothie for breakfast or a snack.