I tend my basil plants all summer looking forward to this treat. Once made, the trick is to keep my six year old from eating it all before me.

Ingredients
2 cups basil leaves, tightly packed.
1 cup toasted pecans
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1-1/2 cup freshly, finely grated asiago cheese (85 grams).
1/2 tsp salt

Preparation
1. Dry roast pecans in a 300 degree oven for 10 minutes.
2. Cool completely.

Directions
1. Place all ingredients in food processor and process until smooth.

Notes
This recipe will double well and freezes well. Pine or other nuts can be substituted for toasted pecans. Parmesan can be substituted for asiago cheese. This is excellent on most any meat from steak to shrimp. Try it on the grill. Your non-SCD friends will love it on pasta too. Try it on eggs too.

Freezing
I make a large batch of this and freeze it in one quart zip bags. Put about a cup into a bag, lay it flat and squeeze out all the air you can. This will keep well in the freezer for months.

Video:
Buying fresh basil is expensive so I grow my own. The one trick I’ve been taught is to prune the basil regularly to encourage more leaves to grow. It works great! Removing the flowering parts forces the plant to put its energy into growing more leaves, giving you a big basil bush. And who wouldn’t want a big basil bush? See the video for a demo of pruning your basil.

For more of my videos, including higher quality versions, visit my YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/eatingSCD

Ingredients:
mixed baby greens
asiago cheese, large shavings
strawberries, sliced

Family Favorite Dressing:
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 T water
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tsp black pepper, fresh ground
1 clove garlic, smashed (see this video for easy peeling)
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1/2 tsp mustard powder

Directions:
1. Combine all dressing ingredients in a shakable container.
2. Shake well, dress greens and toss to coat.
3. Top salad with strawberries and cheese.
4. Sit back and rake in the compliments.

This dressing naturally separates and will need shaking right before using.

Note that the large shred of asiago cheese is preferable to the small. The large pieces assert their character in a way that a small simply cannot and are vital to the experience.

If possible make this dressing a day ahead to give the garlic time to suffuse as the flavor will improve with time.

No need to refrigerate dressing. It will keep a week or more at room temperature.

Notes:
Smashing the garlic is important. Mincing the garlic will not give the same effect. Smashing will allow more of the essence of the garlic to infuse the dressing.

To add a little extra sparkle to this salad try topping with some chopped candied pecans.

Videos:
How to smash garlic:

How to shave cheese and why you’d bother to do it:

For more of my videos, including higher quality versions, visit my YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/eatingSCD