Giveaway update: Congratulations to Jessica Waskin and Crystal Welsh for winning the pairs of tickets to Cleveland Magazine's Silver Spoon Awards party (winners were chosen using random.org)! I'll be putting the tickets in the mail today! :)
This year, with a little help from our neighbor, we have a garden! One of the few things I remember from the first open house we did at this house was our now-neighbor cleaning up her garden as we checked out the backyard. I remember thinking, "I've always wanted to live somewhere where people have gardens." And here we are.
Our neighbor was gracious enough to let us use her garden this year, and we've planted all kinds of things: spinach, green beans, peppers. My favorite of all, however, is the basil. I love fresh basil. I could bottle up that sweet, earthy smell and wear it as perfume (maybe). I could eat basil in anything. In just a week we've already gone through all of the basil leaves on our plant. Looks like we should have bought five more!
One of my favorite summer recipes calls for lots of fresh basil (surprise). It's my favorite for that reason, but also because the first time I had it I was celebrating being reunited with my four college roommates not long after we had graduated. We were all moving around my little kitchen at my first real grown-up house in Cincinnati, enjoying each other's company after months away (which probably seemed like years because we spent every day of senior year together). I think Leah found this recipe (she's the foodie of the group), maybe from Real Simple, and every time I eat it, it takes me back to that night.
Summer Corn and Tomato Pasta 1 pound bowtie pasta 2 tablespoons EVOO 2 garlic cloves, smashed 1 pint cherry tomatoes 3 ears of fresh corn, kernels cut off (or 8-16 ounces of frozen) 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces Parmesan for topping
Cook pasta al dente, and boil the corn. In the meantime, heat EVOO over medium heat. Add garlic and tomato. Cook about 5 minutes, until tomatoes are soft. Stir in corn and raise the heat, about 5 more minutes. Add the mix, butter, and basil to cooked pasta and toss to coat. Top with fresh parmesan.