Basil Broth Recipes

Steps:

• Put all ingredients but the basil in a large pot over medium heat and simmer 1 1/2 hours. Strain, and discard the vegetables. Return the broth to a pan over medium heat and continue cooking until it cooks down to 1 quart.
• Remove from heat, add the basil to the broth and steep 1 minute. Strain. Discard the basil. In a well-covered container in the refrigerator, the broth will keep for up to 5 days.

Steps:

• Over medium-low heat melt butter in a large stockpot, add onions, garlic and parsley. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally until onions are soft.
• Add tomatoes to the pot (break them into chunks as you add them). Add chicken broth, bay leaves, basil, thyme, oregano, water and wine. Mix well. Cover and simmer 30 minutes.
• Stir in the shrimp, scallops, clams, mussels and crabmeat. Stir in fish, if desired. Bring to boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer 5 to 7 minutes until clams open. Ladle soup into bowls and serve with warm, crusty bread!

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Remove the stems from the cabbage and plunge them into boiling water for 45 seconds. Drain and cool completely under cold water. Pat the leaves dry and set aside.
• Use a sharp knife to cut the tomatoes into 1/4-inch slices. Lightly oil a baking sheet; put the tomatoes on the sheet and put in the oven for 35 minutes. Remove and set aside. Increase oven to 350 degrees.
• Use the remaining oil to grease an 8-by-12-inch baking pan; line the pan with foil. Line the bottom of the pan with the cabbage leaves. Sprinkle a layer of crumbled goat cheese on top of the cabbage. Put a layer of tomatoes on the cheese, and repeat with layers of goat cheese and tomatoes until all ingredients are used. Top with additional cabbage leaves. Cover with foil and bake 40 minutes.
• Remove pan from oven. Put a pan of equal size on top of this pan, bottom side down, weigh it down with several bricks or heavy cans of food and refrigerate for several hours. Remove weights and foil and cut the pie into 3-inch diamonds. To serve, put 1 diamond in the bottom of each of 4 oven-proof serving dishes and warm in oven. Ladle in 1/2 cup of basil broth and serve immediately.

Steps:

• Prepare the beans: Put the beans and 5 cups water in a saucepan over high heat. Add onion stuck with clove, thyme, bay leaf, garlic, salt and olive oil. Reduce heat and cook at a gentle simmer until tender, about 25 to 30 minutes. Leave beans to cool in their own broth. (May be cooked several hours or up to 1 day in advance.)
• Make the soup: Put olive oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium-high heat. Add diced onion, season generously with salt and pepper and stir to coat. Turn heat to medium and cook, stirring until softened and barely browned, about 10 minutes.
• Add potato and 2 cups water to soup pot. Cover and cook until potatoes are soft, about 10 minutes. Add cooked shell beans and bean broth and bring to a simmer. Taste and adjust seasoning. Keep warm.
• Meanwhile, working in batches in a separate pot, blanch Romano beans, wax beans and zucchini in salted water for 1 minute. Spread out to cool on a baking sheet.
• Make the pistou: Put basil, garlic and olive oil in a food processor and pulse to a rough paste. (Alternatively, pound basil and garlic in a stone mortar and stir in oil and cheese.) Stir in about 1/2 cup grated cheese and season with salt and pepper. (Makes about 3/4 cup.)
• To serve, add blanched vegetables to soup pot and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Ladle into bowls and add about 2 tablespoons pistou to the center of each bowl. Pass extra grated cheese at the table.

Steps:

• Put 3 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. When the oil starts to look wavy, add the onions and season well with salt and pepper.
• Let onions cook, stirring, until they begin to soften, about 4 to 5 minutes, then turn heat to medium and continue cooking until onions are quite soft, about 15 minutes more.
• Add the garlic and corn kernels, and stir to combine. Add 6 cups water and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Taste the resulting broth and adjust salt to taste. (It should be well seasoned.) Cook for about another 10 to 15 minutes, until the kernels are tender. Stir in squash blossoms, if using, and turn off heat.
• Working in batches, purée the soup in a blender. Pass the puréed soup through a fine-mesh strainer and into a large bowl, pushing down to press all the liquid out. Discard the fibrous debris left behind.
• Check consistency and seasoning, and adjust as needed. (Add a bit more water if the soup seems too thick.) The soup can be made up to a few hours ahead up to this point, and tastes best the day it's made. Reheat, if needed, before serving.
• To serve, ladle into individual bowls. Drizzle about a teaspoon of olive oil over each serving. Quickly chop the basil, and sprinkle over to finish.

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add garlic and shallots, and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly browned. Add a splash of the beef broth, jalapeno, and red chile pepper, and simmer for a few minutes to blend the flavors.
• Add the tomatoes, basil leaves, white wine, and remaining beef broth. Bring to a boil. Dissolve cornstarch in a small amount of the light cream, and pour it and the rest of the cream into the stock pot. Return to a boil, and add the mussels. Cook until all of the shells have opened, about 5 minutes.

Steps:

• Melt butter in heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in orzo and saute until lightly browned.
• Stir in chicken stock and bring to boil. Cover. Reduce heat and simmer until orzo is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 15 - 20 minutes.
• Mix in Parmesan cheese and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to shallow bowl. Garnish with basil sprigs.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Place beef bones on a baking sheet and roast in the preheated oven until browned, about 1 hour.
• Place onion on a baking sheet and roast in the preheated oven until blackened and soft, about 45 minutes.
• Place bones, onion, ginger, salt, star anise, and fish sauce in a large stockpot and cover with 4 quarts of water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer on low for 6 to 10 hours. Strain the broth into a saucepan and set aside.
• Place rice noodles in large bowl filled with room temperature water and allow to soak for 1 hour. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and after the noodles have soaked, place them in the boiling water for 1 minute. Bring stock to a simmer.
• Divide noodles among 4 serving bowls; top with sirloin, cilantro, and green onion. Pour hot broth over the top. Stir and let sit until the beef is partially cooked and no longer pink, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve with bean sprouts, Thai basil, lime wedges, hoisin sauce, and chile-garlic sauce on the side.