Only Fresh Basil Will Do

Friends, the sad truth is our vegetable garden is not performing very well this season, and I would feel very ashamed of that fact were it not for the recent revelation by a former neighbor and avid gardener that his garden isn't producing too much this year, either. What gives? Is anyone else experiencing a lackluster garden this summer?

But good ole' potted herbs. Despite a tiny harvest from a large vegetable garden, it's hard to be Debbie Downer when there are explosions of mint and basil just outside your backdoor (and when there's a jug of homemade red wine fermenting in your kitchen, crafted from the unlikeliest of backyard grapevines). With mounds of basil to consume, I've recently latched on to two recipes for which only fresh basil will do. They're quick and easy and incredibly delicious, at least to my family.

First up: eggplant parmesan. I found a recipe by Mario Batali online, and made a few changes. First, I'm not a huge fan of lots of eggplant in my mouth, so I wasn't about to eat a stack of 1 1/2 inch slices. I slice my eggplant very thin, and it still works great in this recipe. For the tomato sauce, I use a jar of what we have on hand (Newman's Own Sockarooni, I believe) instead of the "basic tomato sauce" recipe given. And I open a bag of grated mozzarella cheese instead of going out to get a pound of fresh mozzarella. I bake the eggplant slices and make the stacks of layered ingredients as stated, and about twenty minutes later dinner is served with a side of spaghetti. Delicious, and the fresh basil is key. The more, the better!

Second basilicious recipe: bruschetta. The first time I made this, I started with this Bon Appetit recipe, except I used chopped fresh creole tomatoes instead of the assortment of small tomatoes they suggest, only because we happened to have the creole tomatoes at the time (my suspicion is that any locally grown tomato will do). I decreased the oil and vinegar (to about 2 tablespoons and 1 tablespoon, respectively), and mixed in more basil than is prescribed. I also sprinkled some cayenne into the mix because it always tastes perfect in Italian cuisine. And instead of focaccia, I sliced a baguette. The resulting bruschetta is amazing, a divine way to end a summer day. Happy cooking!