Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups tomatoes, chopped (or 2 cans diced tomatoes)
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup cottage cheese - the higher the milk fat, the creamier
• 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ​Fresh basil leaves for garnish

Preparation

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and sauté until softened.
2. Add the tomatoes and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth.
4. Stir in the cottage cheese and continue to blend until fully incorporated and smooth.
5. Season with sugar (if using), salt, and pepper to taste.
6. Garnish with fresh basil leaves before serving.

​INGREDIENTS
2 eggplants (nicely round, not slender)
4 teaspoons olive oil (or more)
2 large ripe tomatoes
12 slices mozzarella cheese
finely chopped herbs (like basil, oregano, thyme)
salt
black pepper


DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 350 deg F
2. From each eggplant/aubergine, slice 6 rounds, about 1/3" thick. You should have 12 rounds.
3. Put a sheet of nonstick baking paper on a cookie tin. Arrange the slices in a single layer, and drizzle each with a little olive oil.
4. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the slices are soft -- do not burn. Cool and keep.
5. Slice each tomato into 4 even slices so you have 8 tomato slices.
6. Chop your herbs of choice finely, or use dried herbs.
7. In an oven proof dish, create your 4 stacks starting with an eggplant slice, then a tomato slice, than a mozarella slice. Repeat layer. Top with an eggplant slice and a mozarella slice.
8. Season each layer lightly as you go, with just tiny pinches of salt, and a sprinkle of herbs and black pepper.
9. You will have 4 stacks.
10. Heat gently in the oven until the tomato slices are warm and the mozzarella melts.
11. Serve as an appetizer or a side dish.

Ingredients

• 2 cups packed basil leaves
• 1 to 2 cloves  garlic, chopped
• 1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts, toasted
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
• Kosher salt
• Black Pepper
  
  

Instructions

1. Fill a small saucepan halfway with water and bring to a boil. Prepare a bowl of ice water and set it near your stove. Set up a food processor with the blade attachment (or get your blender all plugged in and ready).
2. Drop the basil leaves in the boiling water and blanch briefly just until they’re wilted, 5 to 10 seconds. Use tongs to transfer the basil leaves to the prepared ice water. This stops them from continuing to cook.
3. Wrap the basil in paper towels and dry very thoroughly. Squeeze to wring out all the water and transfer to the food processor, along with the garlic, pine nuts, and lemon juice.
4. Blend until everything has broken down into small chunks. With the processor running on low speed, slowly pour in the extra virgin olive oil. Do not run the processor too long, you want to have a little bit of texture to your basil pesto.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon flaked salt, divided
• 2 large heirloom tomatoes, cut in 1 inch cubes
• 2 ripe peaches - halved, pitted, and cut in 1 inch cubes
• 1 (8 ounce) ball fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
• 6 leaves fresh basil, chopped large

Directions

1. Whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and 1 pinch flaked salt in a small bowl until dressing is smooth.
2. In a bowl, mix tomato and peach cubes with mozzarella and basil leaves.  Drizzle dressing over salad and gently mix together.  Sprinkle with remaining flaked salt.

Serrano pepper takes the world's freshest sauce from simple to spicy with one ingredient. 
 
INGREDIENTS 

• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 1 Serrano pepper
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups basil, packed tight
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• Olive oil.  Start with 1/2 cup, add more as needed to make a loose sauce
• Salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste

PREPARATION

1. Drop the garlic clove into a food processor while it is running, and run the machine until the garlic is finely minced.
2. Trim the stem off the hot pepper and slice it in chunks. Add it to the machine, seeds and all if you want it really spicy, while it is running, and wait until it is finely minced.
3. Next add the pine nuts and Parmesan cheese and process until everything is smooth.
4. Add the basil and lemon juice and pulse, scraping down the sides of the machine a few times, until the basil has broken down.
5. Drizzle in the olive oil while processing. Process until the pesto is as smooth as you like. It can be chunky or smooth, it’s your choice.
6. Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Add more olive oil if you want a looser pesto.
7. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container, and use within 10 days.

Ingredients

• 2 large peaches (3–4 inches wide) save 1/4 cup for garnish
• ​3 large tomatoes (same size as peaches) save 1/4 cup for garnish
• 1/3 of an English cucumber, about 1 1/2 cups –  save 1/4 cup for garnish
• 1/4 cup red onion, sliced, plus 1/4 cup for garnish 
• 10 basil leaves, plus more for garnish
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 –1 teaspoon salt
• 1–2 teaspoons red wine vinegar, sherry vinegar, or champagne vinegar (or Apple Cider vinegar)
• cracked pepper to taste

Garnish:

• Finely diced peaches, tomato, cucumber and red onion, torn basil leaves, and pick one of the following: drizzle of olive oil, sliced avocado, burrata cheese (or ricotta or vegan ricotta).
• Feel free to add croutons or serve with crusty bread.

​Directions

1. Quarter the peaches and tomatoes and set aside one wedge of each for your garnish.
2. Place the remaining peaches and tomatoes in a blender. Add the onion, cucumber, (setting aside garnish portions) basil, olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper and 1 teaspoon vinegar.
3. Blend until relatively smooth. Taste. Adjust salt and vinegar to your liking, find your perfect balance. If too peachy add more tomato!  It should be tomato forward with hints of peach.
4. Chill at least 2 hours.
5. While chilling, chop up the garnish ingredients as finely as possible. Chill as well.
6. To serve, ladle the cold gazpacho into a bowl, sprinkle with garnishes. Drizzle with olive oil and add a dollop of burrata or ricotta. Scatter with torn basil leaves. Feel free to add croutons or serve with crusty bread.

NOTE: Can be made ahead, left 24 hours to chill. Keeps 3-4 days in the fridge.

Makes 1 omelet
 
 
½ teaspoon unsalted butter
3 large eggs
⅛ teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon shredded basil
¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
 

1. Crack the eggs into a medium bowl with the salt, pepper and basil.  Whisk the eggs until they are frothy.
2. Melt the butter in an 8” non-stick pan over medium heat.
3. Give the eggs another whisk or two and pour them into the waiting pan.  Let them sit, absorbing the heat without stirring.
4. When the eggs begin to set, about a minute, maybe a minute and a half, gently scramble them with a soft spatula while shaking the pan back and forth.  The eggs should be set on the bottom but still slightly undercooked on the top, about a minute.
5. Remove the pan from the heat.
6. Sprinkle the cheese down the middle third of the omelet.  Run the spatula around the edges of the omelet and give the pan another shake or two to assure that it is not sticking to the pan.
7. Let it rest briefly.  Then fold one third of the omelet from one side over the middle of it.  Take you pan to a ready plate and ease the folded side onto the plate.  Use the pan itself to fold the final third over the top of the omelet as it slides onto the plate.

 

INGREDIENTS

• 3 peaches, ½ inch cubes (skin on or off)
• 1 cup corn kernels (raw or cooked)
• 1/4 red onion, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup fresh basil (leaves torn if large)
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1-2 teaspoons honey
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

 

 

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix lemon juice, honey and olive oil.  Set aside
2. Toss peaches and corn with red onion, basil, salt and some pepper.
3. Drizzle with olive oil mixture and stir well.

 

​Serves:  6 – 8 as an appetizer
 
1 prepared pie crust
 
8 ounces softened goat cheese , at room temperature
1 -8 oz. package unflavored gelatin softened in 1½ tablespoons of water
½ cup heavy cream
1 medium red onion, cut into thin wedges and oven roasted & cooled
½ cup diced tomatoes
1½ teaspoon sugar
10 to 12 fresh basil leaves, save the smallest for garnishing
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
½ teaspoon of salt
16 pitted kalamata olives, divided into 8 & 8
8 to 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
Fresh salad greens and a good Italian bread, sliced
 
Equipment: spring-form baking pan
 

1. Preheat oven to 325º.
2. Roll out the pie crust to about ⅔ to ¼ inch thick.
3. Line the bottom of the spring form pan with the piecrust, with just a slightly raised edge around the perimeter.  Pierce the dough with a fork at intervals.  Bake in the heated oven for about 25 minutes, until golden.
4. Remove piecrust to a rack to cool.
5. Meanwhile, place the cheese, cream, dissolved gelatin, diced tomatoes, half of the onion wedges, sugar, white pepper, salt, half the basil leaves and half of the olives into a food processor or blender.  Pulse until smooth.
6. Pour the cheese mixture into the spring-form baking pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
7. Let the cheesecake come to room temperature before serving.
8. Carefully remove the cheesecake from the form, retaining the bottom and place it on the flat surface of a serving dish.
9. Garnish the top of the cheesecake with the cherry tomatoes, the remaining olives, onion wedges and basil leaves.
10. Serve with fresh salad greens and a good crusty Italian bread

​Serves 4
 
1 lb. linguine
4 tablespoons good green olive oil
2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 - 1½ cup half & half, fat free is fine
½ cup ricotta cheese
2 cups snow peas, sliced lengthwise, ¼ inch wide
2 teaspoons lemon zest
¼ cup chives, minced
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1 cup basil, shredded or cut with a scissors
1 cup reserved pasta water
Salt & fresh pepper to taste
 

1. Bring salted water to a boil in a large pot.
2. Melt the butter and add the olive oil in a large saucepan on a low setting, then set aside.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the half and half and the ricotta.
4. Add the liguine to the boiling water and cook according to the instructions until the pasta is al dente.
5. Reserve a cup of the pasta water.  Drain the pasta and set aside momentarily.
6. Over a low heat, re-warm the butter and oil.  Add the half and half, ricotta mixture and heat thoroughly, but gently.
7. Add the lemon zest while stirring.
8. Add first the cooked pasta and then the Parmesan cheese to the saucepan.  Toss it well.
9. Adjust the liquid level as needed with the reserved pasta water, a spoonful at a time.  The sauce should be creamy.
10. Add salt and pepper to taste.
11. Add the snow peas and the basil and toss again to distribute the ingredients evenly.  Serve immediately, with additional Parmesan if desired.

 
NOTE: Because many of the ingredients come together quickly in the last few minutes, it is best to have all the mincing, cutting and zesting done in advance.
 
VARIATIONS:  Try adding a few pea shoots or fennel/rainbow/beet sprouts.
 

Recipe by Anna Gill

Serves: 4

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup light cream, ricotta or plain Greek yogurt (non-fat is okay)
2-3 small firm zucchini, ends trimmed and julienned*
1 teaspoon fine kosher salt
½ cup freshly shredded basil leaves

1. Combine the first three ingredients in a small jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake well and set aside.
2. Place the julienned zucchini in a colander over the sink or a mixing bowl. Toss with the kosher salt.
3. Place a paper towel over the zucchini. Place a plate or wide bowl on top of the paper towel and weight the plate or bowl with your pie weights or a pound of dried beans or rice. Let the weighted zucchini stand for 20 to 30 minutes, until the majority of moisture has been pressed from the vegetable strips.
4. Pat the zucchini with a dry paper towel. Transfer the zucchini to a serving bowl. Pour the lemon basil sauce over the zucchini, toss and serve.

* - A kitchen mandolin is worth ten times its weight in vegetables for this purpose alone.

Recipe by Anna Gill

Serves 8 as appetizer

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
6 large tomatoes, cut into small wedges
6 figs, cut into quarters
3 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup calamata olives, pitted and sliced
Handful of basil, torn
4 cups fresh lettuce greens, torn into pieces
2 cups young tender arugula, stems removed
Salt and pepper to taste.

1. Put balsamic vinegar in a salad bowl, and whisk oil into it.
2. Toss remaining ingredients with dressing. Adjust seasoning and serve.