Bella Weddings | Nashville Wedding Planner

At some point during every Autumn season I start frantically hoarding the Basil I have growing in my garden & keep a careful eye on the temperature to make sure that I get every last little leaf before the 1rst frost. And curse the fact that I didn’t grown more of it the past summer.
The smell of Basil is as delicious to me as Chanel N º5 .  It’s the 1rst plant I see as I get out of my car & pass under the arbor & I think just as
beautiful as anything blooming. When several plants are close together as I have planted, it makes one huge glossy green bush.
Especially if the top leaves are harvested throughout the summer which makes it thicker & mounds the top. 
Mine is planted along the path to the back door so it beckons me to brush a hand across the top as I pass by.
I simply can’t get enough of the smell & taste. So it’s with a heavy heart when the day comes that I have to toss the plants after the 1rst frost.
Although not quite the same, I do have a way to enjoy Basil throughout the Winter & early Spring.  Homemade Pesto!
So if you didn’t grow Basil this past summer get to the nearest farmer’s market & buy up all you can find.

So have I enticed you to grow your own organic Basil?
Great! Just a few tips…

 ~ Plan now where you’ll be planting your Basil next year. Make sure it’s in a sunny spot & clear any dead plants before cold weather.
Weed it well & give the ground a good tossing & turning to break up the clots & have it ready for Spring.
~Start a place in the corner of the yard for organic mulch. Over the winter add great things like tea bags, coffee grounds,
fruit & vegetable peelings & leaf & grass clippings – turning once or twice during the Winter.  I keep a small covered stainless steel container 
next to the sink & collect this organic stuff & add it to the compost every few days.
Use this organic brew to add to your tilled garden in early Spring before planting the Basil.
~Start seeds inside before the temps warm or if you’re as impatient as I am just buy small Basil plants & plant once the risk of frost has passed.

Ok. So now you’ve grown your own Basil & you’re understandably very pleased with yourself.
What next? With all of this abundance it’s the perfect time to make your own homemade Pesto.
My tried & true recipe…

3 – 4 cups of fresh clean Basil leaves
{Try & use only small new leaves. I think the taste is fresher & ‘greener’}
1/3 cup pine nuts
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
sea salt & pepper, to taste
~Pulse the Basil & pine nuts in a food processor
Add garlic, salt & pepper – pulse again.
Slowly add the olive oil while the food processor is on.
Add the cheese until just blended.

{Using a food processor is fast but if I’m making a small batch I prefer a sharp knife & a great chopping board - after all, not all great Italian cooks have food processors! And some purists would never freeze their Pesto arguing that the freezer combined with the olive oil would
damage the Basil taste. Whatever. Frezzing the Pesto reminds me of my summer garden & it’s still better than store bought!}

Now it’s time to show everyone how brilliant you are. Make the Pesto & fill tiny jars (that you’ve been collecting)
& freeze for giving away as favors at your outdoor country wedding.
Or freeze the Pesto in ice cube trays then thaw for dipping with warm crusty bread at your wedding reception.
Just add a little more olive oil & maybe some red pepper flakes before serving.  
Delizioso!

There’s an unmistakable feel in the air. Yellow school buses are out & we’re talking football once again. Summer is FINALLY nearing an end.
I unashamedly admit I’m not a fan of the season with it’s sticky heavy heat & humidity so to Summer I say Goodbye, Adieu, Adios & Bite Me! 
But the only problem is you’re taking the last of my Lavender blooms with you!
 Not willing to let them bleach in the sun these last days, I looked to my antique French cookbook & through trials
& very messy errors in the kitchen, came up with my own recipes using both English & French Lavender.
After spending the afternoon in the kitchen I treated myself with my efforts outside on my deck as the sun was going down.
I put my feet up & feeling pretty darn pleased with myself raised a glass to Fall- “It’s been a long hot Summer. Thank goodness you’re finally here!”

September & October can still be really warm so these recipes would be refreshing & different to serve at a fall wedding reception.
A couple of DIY recipes for your next event - straight from my garden & kitchen. Let me know what you think. Enjoy!

~Lavender Lemonade: If you’re planning a Fall wedding & want that ‘something different’ drink, try my Lavender Lemonade recipe.
Most caterers will be happy to take this recipe & adjust the amount for serving your guests. The intensity of Lavender, Mint & Lemon Thyme
can easily be adjusted by steeping more or less time. Experiment before adding booze. Gin maybe? Vodka? Yum!

~Lemon Lavenders: The last Lavender blooms of the Summer are perfect for this cookie recipe. Don’t overdo the Lavender - the cookies will be too perfumy & be sure & slice them paper thin because they tend to be gummy the thicker they are. And you must use organic!  
Beg, borrow or steal some from a friend if you don’t have a plant or you can find blooms at an organic food store.
Make a extra large batch of my Lemon Lavenders, cool completely then stack in plastic containers & freeze. Lavender Lemonade
7 cups of water
1 cup sugar
1 large can frozen lemonade
3-4  (4-5 inch) bushy stems of lavender (English and/or French)
5 or 6 mint leaves (leaves only)
2 small sprigs of lemon thyme (optional)
Bring water to a boil with the herbs. Add the sugar & cook on low. Stir with a wooden spoon until sugar is dissolved 3-4 minutes.
Add the frozen lemonade. Turn off the heat & cover for 2-3 hours leaving the herbs in the sugar water.
Pour the lemonade through a strainer & refrigerate. Put in a large pitcher & serve over ice & garnish with lavender stems & lemon slices.

These cookies are not as simple as the lemonade but well worth the extra trouble…

Lemon Lavenders
2 lemons - zest & juice
1 egg yolk
3/4 cup sugar & more for sprinkling
1 & 1/2 sticks butter cut into pieces
1/2 t. good vanilla
1/2 t. salt      1/2 t. baking powder
2 cups flour
2 T. lemon juice
2 t. lavender blooms
1/2 t. lemon thyme leaves (optional)
In a large bowl, mix together lemon zest, lavender & sugar until sugar is completely mixed. The sugar will be damp.
(I used the back of a small wooden spoon but a mortar & pestle would work better)
In a small bowl wisk together flour, salt & baking powder. Add to the sugar mixture.
Then add the butter using a pastry cutter or fork until blended.
In a small bowl beat together lemon juice, egg & vanilla. Add to the flour mixture until the dough forms a ball then cut in half for easier handling. Turn onto floured surface & use a floured rolling pin to roll out really thin. Continue to flour the surface if it becomes sticky (I had to pop it in the freezer for a few minutes when it became too sticky to roll). Using a round cookie cutter, cut out shapes &
place on a cookie sheet lined with buttered parchment paper one inch apart. Sprinkle with lots of sugar.
Bake at 375 for about 8-10 minutes (depending on how thin you slice them) or just until the edges become light brown. But keep an eye on them!
Cool on the cookies sheets for a few minutes then transfer to cookie racks for cooling.