Your July recipe playlist
and a recipe for
I’m not a big fan of summer travel.
Crowds, blazing heat, high prices, the traditional summer closure of many restaurants and shops. Worst of all, I miss what I love most: the high season summer produce of home.
Still, I can’t begrudge being in Europe this week and next. We’ve newly fallen in love with Belgium, are set to discover Normandy and Amsterdam, and best of all, spend a celebratory time with dear friends.
While I’m away enjoying this summer sojourn, I’m dipping into the Delicious Bits archives to bring you my favourite July recipes. Peaches, zucchini, sour cherries and basil are ready. What are you waiting for?
Sour cherries
Not a fruit to be eaten out of hand like their sweeter black cherry cousins, sour cherries shine in both sweet and savoury preparations. Delicious paired with duck, made into a cordial, or glorious in a pie, these beauties can also be made into a quick one bowl loaf perfect with your morning coffee.
Basil
The problem with basil is it’s delicate. But summer basil is also abundant, especially if you follow these three tips.
Provide Plenty of Sunlight:
Basil thrives in full sunlight, requiring at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight each day. Choose a sunny spot in your garden or place your potted basil in a location where it can receive ample light. If growing indoors, consider placing the basil near a south-facing window or using grow lights to supplement natural light.
Water Properly:
Basil prefers consistent moisture but does not like to sit in waterlogged soil. Water the plants deeply whenever the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch. Ensure good drainage by using well-draining soil and pots with drainage holes. Overwatering can lead to root rot, so it's important to strike a balance.
Prune Regularly:
Regular pruning encourages bushier growth and prevents the basil from becoming leggy. Pinch off the tops of the stems regularly, especially before the plant flowers, to promote new growth and prolong the life of the plant. Remove any flowers that appear, as flowering can cause the basil leaves to turn bitter.
Now that you have basil in abundance, preserve it with this wonderful pesto recipe that you can easily freeze.
Zucchini flowers
Like the lovage I wrote about recently, zucchini flowers may not be readily available where you are. When it comes to these delicacies I’m very fortunate to be spoiled for choice. Not only does the farmers’ market sell them, I can also find these seasonally at our local grocery store.
They can be sautéed; added to a pasta or risotto; added as a pizza topping. But perhaps the most beloved and tasty way to use zucchini flowers is to stuff and deep fry them. Whatever way you choose, be sure to remove the pistils from the flowers first.
Peaches
No July recipe playlist would be complete without a fruit pie. While cheery and blueberry pie count amongst my favourites, the peaches are so plentiful and juicy right now that my offering to you is this spectacular pie.
Be a peach—try this one.
Ingredients
2½ pounds peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced
¾ cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon mace
¼ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons instant tapioca
½ cup ground gingersnap cookies
Your favourite pie dough, enough for a double crust pie
1 egg white, mixed with 1 teaspoon water
Preheat oven to 425F.
In a medium saucepan, cook peaches, sugar, lemon juice, zest, ginger, cinnamon, mace and salt over medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Take off heat and stir in tapioca.
Prepare pie dough by rolling out a 10" inch round for the bottom. Fit the dough into your pie pan and sprinkle the gingersnap crumbs evenly along the bottom. Let the dough rest in the fridge for 10 minutes before proceeding.
Pour the peach mixture evenly into the pan. Brush the edges of the dough with the beaten egg. Top the pie with another round of dough and crimp the edges. Make a few decorative slits on the pie top. Let the dough rest again for 10 minutes before baking. This pie is very pretty with a lattice top too.*
Bake the pie on the middle rack of the oven for 10 minutes at 425F. Lower the heat to 350F, and bake for another 40 to 50 minutes, or until the top is golden and the juices of the fruit are bubbling.
*Hint for lattice top lovers: make the lattice top on a piece of parchment paper, and once done, slip it on a cutting board and into the freezer for a few minutes. It will be much easier to position and trim on the pie.
I’ll be off the grid a bit so Delicious Bots may veer from its usual Sunday schedule, Fret not. More goodness awaits in the weeks ahead.