Curzio's Recipes!

 
Dear Friends:

Don't you wish Summer would last 6 months?

Start now to preserve the taste of Summer for the Winter months - read on to learn how to preserve basil - PESTO and PISTOU.

 
Basil

A spicy plant grown for the leaves. There are many varieties but the best is the Italian "Genovese" - as of the city of Genova (Genoa) - that features large leaves.

Other varieties are edible but mainly used for decoration.

 
Grow it in full sun

Basil likes the heat of Summer. Don't transplant it outdoor too early ... The first week of July is safe.

Keep it in fresh water when you harvest; it will last for a week or longer, if you change the water and clip the bottom of the stem, like you clip your roses.

NEVER IN THE FRIDGE! It seem so logical that a plant that isn't transplanted outdoors before July will not do very well in the refridgerator.

 
Pesto is the best way to preserve the taste of basil

Even though one can freeze the individual leaves, we do not believe that this method preserves the aroma of the plant.

The best method is to make pesto. It only takes 15 minutes!

This recipe, with the ingredients shown in the picture, will make enough pesto to fill one ice cube tray.

Pull the leaves of about 15 stems of basil. Put in food processor. Add one cup of nuts (Italians typically use pine nuts - we use walnuts - try peacans) and half a cup of parmesan cheese, 4 cloves of garlic. Process dry and add olive oil to make a nice paste. Transfer in ice cube tray. Freeze. Next day transfer in freezer bag.

Use a cube of pesto in vegetable soups, pasta sauces, or as a spread on bread.

Note that the traditional recipe calls for salt. We prefer to leave the paste insipid (without salt) and lightly season with salt and pepper when these cubes are used.

Curzio's ultimate goal is to promote healthy eating. Food is the fuel of your body and good food is the best medecine to prevent illness. 
Unfortunately our palate has been spoiled by the consumption of too many processed meals that are prepared with eccessive quantities of salt. We recommend to avoid the use of salt as much as possible.

 
Do you have any family and friends that would like to receive our newsletter?

Forward this link; it will take them to the free subscription page.

http://www.curzio.com/N/subscribe.htm

If you need help subscribing please drop us a note; we can do that for you.

 
We hope you enjoy receiving our newsletter and will forward it to your friends and family. We appreciate your help in spreading the word about our activity.

Looking forward to meet you at Harbor MarketPlace of Kenosha this Saturday, or some day.

Your friends will be under the white tent,

Curzio

 
Go to our home page - Ask a question