Saturday, February 26, 2011

Day 18: Herb Garden

Easy to grow garden with these basic herbs:
Greek Oregano
Chives
Sage
Rosemary
Basil

Todays' Recipe

Chunky Raw Marinara Sauce
By Chef Kirk
Ingredients
4 medium vine ripened tomatoes, cut in fine dice
1/2 red onion, minced
1 Tbsp roasted garlic, minced (can be store-bought in a jar, pre-roasted)
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 Tbsp unrefined sea salt
1/4 Tbsp coarse grind black pepper
Fresh Oregano leaves, torn or cut in rough chop, to taste
Fresh Basil, cut in chiffonade, to taste
Directions

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the onions and tomatoes with the salt and pepper and mix well.
2. Add the roasted garlic and the olive oil.
3. Tear the leaves of oregano or chop them and add them to the bowl.
4. Roll up the leaves of basil and thinly slice them in chiffonade*.
5. Add the basil and combine all of the ingredients well.
6. Taste and adjust for seasoning.


Chiffonade is a special way of cutting herbs or leafy green vegetables into thin strips. (The term means “rags” in French.) To chiffonade the basil, stack all of the leaves on top of each other in a neat pile. Roll the pile of leaves lengthwise together to form a fairly tight cigar shape. Then take a knife and cut across the narrow width of the rolled leaves to create thin ribbons of basil.