Recipe: Tomato Basil Salad Summer, Pesto, Roasted Garlic and Basil Salsa

I found these on the web


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Tomato-Basil Salad Summer personified!

2 Ripe Tomatoes
1 cup of fresh basil leaves
2 TBS minced shallots
1 clove garlic minced
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 TBS lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Wash basil leaves and tear into bite size pieces and add to sliced or wedged tomatoes, sprinkle with lemon juice. Mix vinegar, oil, shallots and garlic together, Toss with tomatoes and basil and let sit at room temperature about one hour. Add salt and pepper to taste prior to serving. This is a wonderful accompaniment to any summer meal.

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Pesto

This is a delightful topping for cold or hot pasta.

6 cloves garlic, peeled
2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1/4 cup virgin olive oil.
Rinse basil and remove stems. In a food processor chop the nuts, add the garlic and basil leaves when this is chopped slowly infuse the oil with the blade going. Add the parmesan cheese and refrigerate or freeze. This will last in the refrigerator for one day or three months in the freezer.

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Roasted Garlic and Basil Salsa

This salsa is a blend of wonderful summer flavors. I enjoy this untraditional salsa with chips or as an accompaniment to cold meats.

4 ripe tomatoes cut in wedges
2 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon honey
1 sweet green pepper
1 sweet red pepper
2 jalapeno peppers
2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 cup chopped basil leaves
1 /4 of a sweet onion, chopped
1 tablespoon lime zest

Preheat the broiler, Place the halved peppers and tomatoes on a baking sheet and blacken. Place garlic skin and all in a foil pouch and drizzle with the olive oil. After peppers are blackened turn oven down to 300 degrees place garlic pouch in oven and cook for 30 minutes. Meanwhile as soon as you remove the peppers from the oven place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, and let cool to room temperature. Peel skin off of blackened vegetables and discard. Dice into bite size pieces in a food processor or by hand. Add the roasted garlic( minus their skins) and remaining ingredients and set aside for 2-4 hours at room
temperature. Add salt and pepper to taste. This keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.