What makes you think of Middle Eastern food? For some reason (maybe not even close to being based in reality), plums, cardamom and pistachios all make me think of Middle Eastern cuisine. And I’ve been doing so much reading on Syria and Turkey and such that apparently I have those flavors on the mind. Clearly shortbread isn’t Middle Eastern though! These came out well though; a great combination.
Apple picking starts this weekend in my neck of the woods. I didn’t go, but that means that local apples are available, so when I found some local Honey Crisps, I decided to make this lovely apple cake. It’s not a *pie*, but a *cake*. Perfect for either breakfast coffee cake, or for afternoon tea. The spices are cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and just a touch of cardamom. PS: You don’t have to put the apple rings on the top… I just thought it would look nifty. Now I think it looks a little like octopus tentacles.
I have a glut of basil this ear. Seriously, I am overrun. The plants come up to my waist and they are thick with delicious basil leaves. There are a number of different sorts, but mostly it is your standard Italian sweet basil. And lots of it.
So what does one do with a glut of basil? Make pesto of course. I have made lots and lots of Pesto alla Genovese (the standard green stuff that one thinks of first when one hears ‘pesto’). It freezes very well so my I am well stocked for a while. So I thought that I would make this Pesto di Noce (Walnut Pesto). It’s not as pretty as it’s Genovese cousin (for starters, it’s brownish, despite 2 cups of basil leaves in it), but it of so amazingly yummy. Pair it with giant ravioli and a few more walnuts and you have an amazing dinner (or lunch, in my case).