Basil Harvest Time

I noticed the other day that my basil plant was getting pretty tall.  I decided to cut it down a bit and put some basil away for the winter.  I've done this in years past and it works pretty well.

I cut the basil with scissors into ice cube trays.  Push it down a bit so the cubes are pretty full.

Then I add a little water to hold it together and pop it in the freezer.  Once frozen, I put the cubes into a zip lock bag and put them back into the freezer until the fall and winter.

It's great to pull out a few cubes when making pasta sauces.  It's not the same as fresh, but it's better than dried.  I haven't tried it with other herbs.  Has anyone else?

Summer Grilling at its Best

There's nothing like fresh vegetables and herbs in the summer.  My favorite combination is tomatoes and basil.  Here's a great recipe for tuna using both.

Grilled Tuna with Tomato-Basil Vinaigrette

2 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper to taste
2 yellowfin tuna steaks

Tomato-Basil Vinaigrette
1 ripe tomato, cored, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (do not use dried)
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine oil, lime juice, salt and pepper in a plastic ziploc bag.  Add tuna and marinate for at least 10 minutes.  Grill until medium rare (do not overcook).

Combine ingredients for vinaigrette.  Spoon over the tuna.