TEN MILE FARM                   
basil recipes

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  1. BulletBasil Sauce

  2. BulletBasil-Anchovy Dipping Sauce

  3. BulletPesto Vinaigrette




Basil Sauce


1 cup dry white wine

2 small cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup heavy cream

1-1/2 cups loosely packed basil leaves

1/4 cup milk

1/2 tsp. salt

freshly ground white pepper to taste

2/3 cup unsalted butter, cut into 10 pieces


1. In a medium nonreactive saucepan, combine the wine and garlic; bring to a simmer and reduce by half. Add the stock and return to a simmer. Reduce to two-thirds of the original volume, until 1 1/3 cups of liquid remains. Add the cream and return to a simmer, them remove from the heat and set aside to cool, uncovered.

2. Bring a medium saucepan full of water to a boil. Add the basil and blanch for 2 minutes. Remove the leaves with a skimmer and, as soon as they are cool enough to handle, squeeze out as much water as possible,. Immediately combine the blanched basil with the milk in a blender (this will stabilize the color of the basil). Blend for about 3 minutes, adding more milk if necessary to make the mixture move easily, scraping down the sides of the container as necessary. When the mixture is bright green and the

basil is completely pureed, gradually add the cream mixture with the motor running. Add the salt and white pepper and strain the sauce into a clean pan. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

3. To complete the sauce, bring it to a simmer over medium-high heat. Stir in half the butter and continue to stir until all the pieces have been absorbed. Immediately remove from the heat and whisk in the remaining butter, whisking until all of the butter has melted and the sauce is emulsified. Taste, adjust the seasonings if necessary, and use immediately.


Basil-Anchovy Dipping Sauce


6 cloves garlic, peeled

3 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves

1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted

1 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves

4 ounces anchovy fillets, drained

1/2 to 2/3 cup olive oil

Fresh vegetables, for dipping


1. Mash garlic with a press or the back of a knife. In a food processor, combine basil, pine nuts, parsley and anchovies, and puree. Add garlic. With motor running, pour in enough oil through feed tube to make mixture smooth but not runny.

2. Serve with fresh vegetables, such as sliced fennel bulb, sliced red peppers, celery, green onions, mushrooms, radicchio leaves, radishes, carrot slices and cucumber slices.


Pesto Vinaigrette


1 clove garlic, peeled

kosher salt, to taste

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (optional)

2 cups fresh basil leaves, stems removed

4 tablespoons red wine vinegar

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

cracked black pepper, to taste


1. In the bowl of a food processor, purée garlic and salt until a paste is formed. Add pine nuts and basil

and process until a fine paste formed.

2. With motor running, add vinegar and then slowly add oil in a thin stream until the mixture is

emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning.


Basil is a delicious and delicate culinary herb. Basil is an excellent source of vitamin K and a very good source of iron, calcium and vitamin A.  Although, that isn’t what I am really thinking about when I eat a whole bowl of pesto...