The Basil Run

The neighbors that live two doors down started a garden this summer. "Help yourself!," my friend told me. Well, when it comes to garden fresh, convenient veggies you don't have to ask me twice. We helped take care of the garden for two weeks earlier this summer while they were away which was lots of fun and great for the kids. I had high hopes that this was going to "sell" the baby on the idea of eating his veggies but no such luck. I've always wanted a garden of our own but our yard is not particularly friendly to the idea. It’s too shady in one spot, and too wet in another. I've never even been able to find a good spot to plant even a single tomato so our neighbors garden has been a real treat.
We've enjoyed lots of yummy tomatoes, squash, red hot chili peppers (funny!) and my favorite, lots of great herbs such as basil, sage, oregano and cilantro. I hate buying a whole package of a particular herb for a recipe, only to use a little bit and then eventually throw the rest away. So this summer it was so great to walk down the sidewalk, grab a small bunch of whatever the recipe called for and walk home to make it. This perk came in SUPER handy on Sunday when I totally screwed up and had to make a second basil run. While making the dressing for Grilled Tuna and Asparagus, pg. 261, I added too much chili and burned my mouth off when I tasted it. Thank goodness I tasted it before putting it on our dinner plates! I put husband on clean-up and kitchen re-prep duty while I jogged down the sidewalk, grabbed another handful of basil and returned home to whip up a second batch of dressing. This one turned out great and I definitely think it could be used on top of a lot of other dishes.
A huge thanks to my neighbors for their contribution to my Food Revolution this summer.

Grilled Tuna and Asparagus – Serves 2
from Food Revolution by: Jamie Oliver, pg. 261
A bunch of asparagus

Olive oil

2 tuna steaks (about 7oz each, ½ inch thick)
Dressing

A small bunch of fresh basil

½ a fresh red chili

A small handful of sun-dried tomatoes (the type packed in oil)

1 lemon

Extra virgin olive oil

Balsamic vinegar

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:
Put a large grill pan (or BBQ) on a high heat and let it get screaming hot. Finely chop the basil, the sun-dried tomatoes and put them into a bowl. Add the chili which has been seeded and finely chopped. Halve the lemon and squeeze all the juice into the bowl. Add a splash of extra virgin olive oil and mix together. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar, season with salt and pepper, and put to one side.
Bend the asparagus gently until the woody bottoms of the stalks break off. Discard these woody ends. Drizzle a little olive oil over the tuna steaks and then season with salt and pepper and rub into the fish. Place the asparagus tips on the hot, dry grill pan. Turn them every minute or two, letting them char a little but not burn.
After a few minutes, push the asparagus to one side and add the tuna to the pan. You will be able to see the heat cooking up the tuna from the bottom. After a minute or so, when the tuna has cooked halfway through, flip both steaks over and cook for another minute or two. The tuna should be “blushing” inside – still slightly pink in the middle.
Pile a few asparagus spears on each plate and spoon some of the tangy dressing over them. Lay the tuna fillets over the asparagus and spoon another dollop of the dressing on top. Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive before serving. Ta-da!!
Recipes cooked: 48
Recipes left: 125
Days left: 195