Just Ask Rosie.

Marilyn, of FoodiesUntie blog fame, e-mailed me a "Just Ask Rosie" question:

Hi,

I have a question for you that you will hopefully answer in your blog.

"I have a surplus of fresh basil growing in my garden right now. What are some different uses for my basil and what can I do with the basil so that I can use it later in the year?"

Mar Well, gosh darn it, Marilyn, I have answers for you. And gosh darn it, my italics button is stuck and I can't change it. Anyways, Mar, I like to make a big batch of pesto. Then I pour it all into ice cube trays. Freeze, then pop out individual cubes of pesto into a freezer bag, and use as needed throughout the year. You can also freeze the basil leaves themselves. First I wrap them in paper towels, then place in a freezer bag. You could also make a basil infused oil: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Place 3 cups of basil in a strainer and blanch for 15 seconds. Immediately plunge into an ice-water bath. Drain, then process in blender with 3/4-1 cup of olive oil. Refrigerate puree for at least a day to intensify the color. Then strain through cheesecloth for about an hour. Don't wring out cheesecloth. It might cloud the oil. Store oil in fridge or freezer. I buy small plastic squeeze bottles at my kitchen store and store my infused oils in them. Use for garnishing dishes. What dishes you ask? Perhaps artfully decorate a poisson dish with your infused oil. Sauteed scallops come to mind. Mahi Mahi. Broiled flounder. Or you could drizzle over a pasta dish or tomatoes. I also like to use basil in quiches. A nice thin spread of Dijon mustard on the crust works wonders. Basil on a pizza works for me too. Tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. Basil and fresh mozzarella bites and tomatoes with a nice drizzling of homemade vinaigrette. Yummy. Oh, oh, oh! One of my favorite hors d'oeuvre: Mix 1/2 and 1/2 cream cheese and blue cheese. Have pesto on hand. Sun-dried tomatoes soaked in hot water then drained. Assembly: Line small loaf pan with plastic wrap. Bottom layer is cheese mixture. Then pesto and sun-dried tomatoes. Cheese layer. Pesto and sun-dried tomatoes. Top layer is cheese mixture. Refrigerate. Then invert onto serving platter. Delicious. I'll have to blog this one sometime. It's wonderful. Hope this helps.