The Jackson Hole summer is short and sweet, with only about 60 frost-free days each year. We are making the most of those days at the Inn on the Creek with hiking, biking, floating Flat Creek, and of course, enjoying the bounty of local veggies and herbs. The Jackson Hole summer sun is helping our garden continue to flourish, and our most recent harvest is from our two basil plants. After a slow start, we’ve learned how to keep them happy, and now they are producing plenty of leaves. We are able to use basil in at least two recipes each week, and our guests are enjoying the delicious summer fare at the breakfast table and beyond.
This week, we have made two fantastic recipes with our basil: Pesto and Lemon-basil Shortbread. One is a savory sauce and one is a sweet treat. Try them in your kitchen and bring home a little of our Jackson Hole summer.
Pesto Sauce
Adapted from Against All Grain
Makes ½ cup
INGREDIENTS
¾ cup packed basil leaves
3 T. walnuts, toasted
1 garlic clove
¾ t. lemon juice
¼ t. salt
3 T. olive oil
½ c. grated parmesan cheese (this can be omitted for a dairy-free option)
INSTRUCTIONS
Place all ingredients except oil in a small food processor. Pulse a few times.
Slowly incorporate oil while the machine is running to form a smooth paste. Blend until desired consistency is reached.
If you do not have a food processor, a mortar and pestle or blender can also be used.
Lemon Basil Shortbread
Adapted from Jax House blog
Ingredients
2/3 c. butter (1 and 1/3 sticks)
1 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
4 T. basil, minced
2-3 T. lemon zest
3 c. flour
1½ t. baking powder
½ t. salt
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Grease and flour a 9×13 glass pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Using the paddle attachment on a stand mixer (if you don’t have this, just use what you have for mixing), cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy (4-5 minutes).
3. Add vanilla, basil and lemon zest; mix to combine
4. Add dry ingredients and mix to combine. Resulting mixture will be very dry and crumbly.
5. Pour mixture into the prepared pan and press with fingertips into an even thickness.
6. Bake 20-25 minutes or until edges just begin to brown. Do not over-bake. The first time I made these, they were not the golden brown I was used to, so I just kept cooking them and they turned out really hard. There are no eggs in this recipe, so under-done is okay!
7. Remove from oven and slice while hot.
8. Let cool and serve