Summer Basil

I must admit, as much as I LOVE the changing seasons, summer isn't my most favorite.  However, I do try to enjoy the present moment (it's all we are promised, right?) so as my mind drifts to football season, red wine, and cozy fires, I remind myself of the things I love about sweet summertime! 

In the top ten...fresh basil.




Although I have dreams of a garden one day, I am not convinced my thumb is green; however, basil gives me confidence.  It's foolproof to grow and so flavorful to cook with.  We add it to pastas, pizza, fish, lemonade, and my favorite appetizer: the Barefoot Contessa's Tomato Crostinis.

I am sure I've posted about these before, but I couldn't find the exact spot, so here they are again. One of my summer projects is to get my blog organized into recipe categories, so they are one click away from locating.  Stay tuned...

Start with green onions, red wine vinegar and garlic.

Add in chopped grape tomatoes.

1/3 cup of olive oil, sea salt, ground pepper, and the star of the show...fresh basil.

After this step, I was a little distracted by a two year old and didn't capture any more process pictures.  But, using a food processor, mix together 8 oz feta cheese, lemon juice, 1/3 cup olive oil, 4 - 6 oz softened cream cheese and pepper.

I slice a french baguette, drizzle with olive oil, and toast it on 400 degrees for 10 minutes.  Top with the cheese mixture followed by the tomatoes.

These are always a crowd favorite, and I am thankful I got to these before the last one was gone. 

I recreated the crostini on a slice of sour dough bread, with an egg, for lunch the next day.