 Recipe by Anna Gill
Serves: 4 For the dressing: ⅓ cup mayonnaise ⅓ cup buttermilk 2 tablespoons minced basil 2 tablespoons minced chives Juice of ½ lemon Salt Freshly ground pepper For the salad: 8 slices of thick bacon 2 tablespoons light brown sugar ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper 1½ lbs. Vidalia onions, cut into wedge shaped pieces and skewered on grilling skewers 2 large ripe peaches, cut into eighths and skinned Crisp lettuce leaves Good green olive oil for basting 1. Preheat the oven to 325°. 2. Prepare a grill. 3. In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with the, buttermilk, basil, chives and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate. 4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the bacon slices on the sheet and sprinkle with the brown sugar and cayenne. 5. Bake for about 20 minutes, until caramelized (the bacon will crisp as it cools). Let cool, then cut the bacon into bite-size pieces. 6. Brush the onions with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill over moderate heat, turning occasionally, until softened and charred, 10 minutes. 7. Brush the peaches with olive oil and grill over moderately high heat until tender, 2 minutes. 8. In a medium bowl, toss the onions with the peaches and bacon. Add the buttermilk dressing and toss to coat. 9. Arrange the lettuce leaves on four plates. Top with the peach onion mixture and serve
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Recipe by Anna Gill
Serves 4 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 3 tablespoons brown sugar 2 tsp. chopped basil Pinch of cinnamon Pinch of salt 4 ripe apricots, halved & pitted Spray vegetable oil Whipped crème fraiche 1. Prepare the grill for medium high heat. 2. Mash together the butter, sugar, cinnamon and salt and set aside. 3. Lightly spray both sides of the apricots with the vegetable oil. 4. Place the apricots skin side down on indirect heat for approximately 4 minutes. 5. Turn the apricots over and grill for another 8 to10 minutes; given the variation in size and ripeness, it is wise to be cautious. 6. Meanwhile, heat the butter mixture in the microwave for 25 to 30 seconds, until very hot but not spattering. 7. Place apricots cut side up on serving plate, spoon butter mixture into the cavity. Scoop crème fraiche into the bowl of each apricot and sprinkle with fresh basil. Recipe by Adapted from Cooking Light
For Salad: 5 cups cooked garbanzo beans (chickpeas) -- if using canned beans, drain and rinse 1 red (Spanish) onion, finely chopped 2/3 cup pitted black olives, chopped 1/2 cup chopped parsley 2 tomatoes, finely diced For Basil Vinaigrette: 1 garlic clove, minced 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard 1/4 cup red wine vinegar Freshly ground black pepper 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 cup finely chopped basil leaves TO MAKE SALAD: Combine all salad ingredients in a bowl. TO MAKE BASIL VINAIGRETTE: Combine garlic, mustard, vinegar and pepper in a bowl. Whisk well, then add oil in a slow stream. Whisk constantly until mixture thickens. Stir in the basil. Gently toss dressing with salad. Recipe by Anna Gill
Makes 5 to 6 cups 1 tablespoon good green olive oil 3 to 4 pounds ripe tomatoes, cored, halved (squeezed to extract excess seeds) then quartered, do not peel 1 tablespoon fine sea salt 6 to 10 fresh basil leaves, shredded 1 to 3 small fresh oregano leaves (restrain yourself, this is commonly overused) 2 large garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed 1. In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan combine all the ingredients. Stirring regularly, cook over medium heat until the tomatoes have relaxed and given up their juices, about 15 to 20 minutes. 2. When cool enough to handle, run the sauce through a food mill or a blender and purée. Set aside. VARIATION: Add ½ cup minced sweet onions. Recipe by Anna Gill
Serves: 4 as a main course or 8 as an appetizer 4 small eggplants, unpeeled, ends trimmed 4 teaspoons good green olive oil 4 firm ripe tomatoes, sliced thickly 2-3 cups fresh tomato sauce 8 ounces fresh ricotta or goat cheese ½ cup of finely shredded fresh basil leaves Finishing salt 1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. 2. Slice the eggplant into 2 inch thick slices. Sprinkle with salt and let drain on paper towels, top and bottom for about 15 minutes. Score both sides of each slice with a sharp knife, try not to cut through the slices. 3. Place the eggplant slices in a roasting pan with a rack and roast until golden brown, about 30 to 45 minutes, turning as necessary to brown both sides. 4. Warm the fresh tomato sauce. 5. Remove the roasting pan from the oven. Spoon the fresh ricotta onto each slice of the eggplant, pressing it into the scored surface. Return the roasting pan to the oven until the cheese melts or begins to bubble. 6. Remove the roasting pan from the oven again. Top each eggplant slice with a slice of fresh tomato. Spoon a dollop of warm tomato sauce over each stack of vegetables. Top with another small scoop of the fresh ricotta. Sprinkle lightly with finishing salt and a pinch of shredded basil and serve.  Recipe by Anna Gill
Serves: 4 3 pounds red tomatoes, coarsely chopped Kosher salt 3/4 cup buttermilk Freshly ground pepper ½ pound yellow or purple cherry tomatoes, halved 2 tablespoons chopped basil 1 scallion, minced 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 1. Season the chopped tomatoes with 2 teaspoons of kosher salt and let stand at room temperature for about 1 hour. 2. In a blender, puree the tomatoes. Strain the puree through a coarse sieve set over a bowl. Discard the solids. 3. Stir in the buttermilk. Season the mix with salt and pepper and refrigerate until chilled, at least 30 minutes. 4. Add the scallions, oil and the basil to the tomato mixture. 5. Ladle the soup into shallow bowls. Garnish with the halved cherry tomatoes and serve. Recipe by Anna Gill
1 lb raw medium to large shrimp, shelled & de-veined, tail attached 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice 2 talespoons freshly squeezed orange juice 2 tablespoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons flavorless cooking oil ½ teaspoon Asian Chile sauce 1 tablespoon finely minced ginger ¼ cup chopped fresh basil 1. Bring 4 quarts of water to a rapid boil and add shrimp. Cook about 1 to ½ minutes until done. Drain in a colander and transfer immediately to a bowl of ice water. When chilled, drain and refrigerate until ready to use. 2. In a small non-reactive bowl combine remaining ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate until ready to use. 3. Toss shrimp with the sauce and serve immediately. Or place the sauce in a dipping bowl in the middle of a platter. Place the shrimp on the platter around the bowl.  Recipe by Anna Gill
Serves: 4 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (1 large lime) 1 teaspoon lime zest 4 tablespoon safflower or peanut oil 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 large shallot, thinly sliced into rings 1½ teaspoon sea salt 8 chicken thighs 1 cup shredded basil leaves 1. Place the lime juice, zest, oil, soy sauce, shallots and salt into a large re-sealable plastic bag. Mix well. 2. Place in the refrigerator for at least one hour or up to eight hours. Turn the bag occasionally. 3. Preheat the broiler and place the first rack so the broiling pan is a least 8 to 10 inches from the flame. 4. Reserving the marinade, arrange chicken skin side down in the broiling pan and cook for approximately 8 minutes. 5. Turn the chicken pieces and brush with the marinade, reserving the balance. Cook under the broiler for another 7 to 8 minutes, until golden brown. 6. Let the chicken stand for 5 minutes. 7. Microwave the remaining marinade for a full minute. 8. Arrange the chicken on a serving dish. Spoon the heated marinade over the chicken and sprinkle with the shredded basil. 9. Serve with rice or quinoa.  Recipe by Anna Gill
1¾ cups water 3½ tablespoons sugar ¾ cup finely shredded fresh basil One 3-inch piece of cinnamon stick 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1. Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan. 2. Add the basil and cinnamon and simmer over low heat until reduced to 1 cup, about 10 minutes. 3. Cool to room temperature, then strain. 4. Stir in the lemon juice.  Recipe by Anna Gill
Serves: 4 3 to 5 large beets 3 oz. soft chévre 3 tablespoons crushed pistachios 8 to 10 Thai or purple basil leaves 2 tablespoons minced chives (optional) Salt and pepper to taste 1. Preheat the oven to 375º. 2. Wash the beets with a vegetable brush to remove tiny roots and soil. Dry them off and wrap them in foil with a little salt (see note). 3. Place the foil packet(s) on a baking sheet and roast for 45 to 60 minutes 4. Let the beets cool to room temperature. 5. Using the thin medical/kitchen rubber gloves, gently peel the skin off the roasted beets. Slice each beet into ¼ inch discs and place them on a plate. 6. Place the chévre in a small measuring cup and microwave for 30 seconds at a time until the cheese is soft enough to pour. 7. Arrange the beet discs on a serving plate. Pour a stream of chévre over the beets. 8. Sprinkle the beets with the crushed pistachios and a bit of the chives. 9. Garnish with the Thai basil leaves and serve. NOTE: When mixing colored varieties, I wrap them in foil separately to prevent colors bleeding onto one another. |