Snatching Supper From The Jaws Of Winter

Our first freeze of the year arrived last night, one night earlier than predicted by the weather guys but still anticipated well enough in advance that we harvested some good stuff from the garden before they got zapped.

This included a couple dozen Jamaican Hot Chocolate habanero peppers, most showing plenty of green instead of the dark brown exterior of a fully ripened hot bomb, but packing plenty of heat nonetheless. I’d harvested a dozen completely ripe ones a week earlier, and made them into an expanded batch of Tropical Bob’s Habanero Sauce – very hot, but extremely tasty a few drops at a time.

Also packed away into the fridge are several big bags of sweet peppers, many suitable for stuffing.

We also picked a large colander full of packed down basil leaves, since basil really doesn’t handle the cold well. (I noted that the one plant from which I did not harvest leaves now looks like spinach due to last night’s light freeze, while the large plant from which I harvested still is mostly alive. Figures.) The basil went into a quadrupole batch of my wife’s terrific pesto sauce, which can be frozen I am told, and also will last a long while in the refrigerator as it is largely olive oil. Even using the same recipe, though, mine doesn’t come out as good as when she makes it.

Try it and see what you think:

Aunt Sissy’s Pesto Sauce

Ingredients:
24 large basil leaves
2 Tablespoons walnuts or toasted pine nuts
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 large (or 3 small) garlic cloves
Juice of half a lemon
3/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
Fresh-ground pepper, to taste

Method:
Mix the olive oil, lemon juice and cheese together in a food processor or blender. Add the rest of the ingredients a handful at a time, blending until somewhat thin and oily.

Heat, add some cooked chicken to the pan if you like, then serve over linguine, topped with more Parmesan cheese.