Basics: Salad Dressings

Simple Vinaigrette Dressing:
Mix 1/2 cup white wine vinegar, 1 clove garlic and 1 chopped shallot in a small bowl. Let it sit for 30 minutes. Mix in 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard. Whisk 1/2 cup vegetable oil and 1/2 cup olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Makes about 1.5 cups.

Cook your own pumpkin

You can make your own pumpkin puree very easily. Buy a sugar or pie pumpkin (don’t use the big pumpkins that you carve — they don’t taste good), cut in half and remove the seeds. Brush the inside of the pumpkin halves with vegetable or olive oil. Place them on a large rimmed baking sheet, cut side down, and pour in about 1 cup of water. Bake the pumpkin at 350ºF until tender (it can take between 1 and 1 1/2 hours, depending on the size of the pumpkin). Let it cool, then use a spoon to scoop out the flesh, and puree it in a blender or food processor. You’ll get about 1 cup of puree per pound of pumpkin. Pumpkin freezes well and can be used in recipes later in the winter.

Roasted Tomato Marinara Sauce

3 tablespoons olive oil
6 lbs. tomatoes, cored and cut in half
1/2 large onion, chopped
Any other vegetables (zucchini, peppers, carrots, celery, etc.)
5-6 cloves garlic, sliced or chopped
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. of each dried thyme, oregano, basil,or use 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp pepper

Pour olive oil into large roasting pan. Cut the tomatoes in halves and place the cut side down into some of the oil and slide it to the edge of the pan. Repeat with all the tomatoes until the pans are full with a single layer of tomatoes and the oil has been distributed evenly. Scatter chopped onions over the pans, tucking them into the crevices. Add other vegetables, if any. Drizzle balsamic vinegar. Add garlic and any other herbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Roast for 45 minutes at 400 or until vegetables are soft. Remove skins with tongs, as desired. Process briefly in a blender or processor for a chunky sauce, or more for a smooth sauce. Use right away, or pour into quart-size freezer containers leaving an inch or two for expansion, date and label before freezing. Makes about 2 quarts.

Growing Basil

This year we grew some organic basil on our balcony and were surprised to find out how much basil you can get from a small container. It amazes me that the store-bought basil costs at least $2.99 but does not taste nearly as good as your own grown basil. Now that we are drowning in basil, I started to research the recipes we can make with all that basil… First thing came to mind is pesto! Just throw some basil, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, nuts, garlic, salt and pepper in the food processor and pulse until smooth.

Here is the recipe for pesto:
Homemade Pesto

Here are some other recipes in which pesto can be used:
Chicken Pesto Pasta
Pesto Pasta Salad
Black Olive-Pesto Pinwheels
Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Pesto Butter
Mediterranean Pizza

Homemade Pesto

4 cups fresh basil leaves
¾ to 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1-2 minced garlic
½ cup pine nuts or walnuts
½ to 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Toast the nuts in a small skillet (don’t burn them) and cool. Toast the garlic until it has brown spots on all sides (this should remove the raw garlic flavor that can spoil so many homemade pestos). Place basil, nuts, Parmesan cheese, and garlic in a food processor. Pulse until it turns into smooth paste. Slowly pour in oil. Mix in processor until combined.

• Did you know that walnuts could be stored in a freezer for long-term storage?
• Some recipes mix spinach with basil.
• Stir pesto into hot cooked pasta or use as a sauce for a Chicken-Pesto Pizza.
• If you’re going to store pesto, pour a bit of olive oil on top so it stays fresh
• Some people freeze pesto in ice cubes and then pop them into a bag for easy storage in the freezer, however, some chefs opt for freezing a basil puree which can be transformed into pesto after defrosting. This is how you would do it: Submerge basil leaves in boiling water and cook until soft, about 1 minute. Drain in a colander and cool with cold water. Drain again and press gently to remove excess water. Place in a food processor with a dash of salt and some olive oil. Process until pureed and freeze in small packages.
• For other ideas on how to use pesto, click here.