HERB GARDEN HARVEST

     Shorter days and cooler nights remind me that fall is presenting itself in all of its splendor. Another sure sign each year is the discordant rasp of a million crickets outside my door...hence the name of our farm. I always forget how much I love fall when summer is in full swing, but it is such a refreshing change to breathe the crisp air and crackle colorful leaves underfoot on my daily walks through the woods.
     Today the sky is a brilliant blue, a gentle breeze tickles my cheek and I realize that it is a perfect time to harvest the bounty in my backyard herb garden, which is a profusion of glorious specimens begging to be "put by."
     I lovingly stroke each plant to release the heady aroma of pineapple sage and chocolate mint, delicious in iced tea all summer long, which will now be dried in the dehydrator and served hot in the cold months ahead. The clusters of thyme, delicate and diminutive, look similar yet are so varied in their uses...lemon thyme for lovely tea breads and sugar-encrusted cookies; oregano thyme for salsa and spaghetti sauce, French thyme sprigs for soups, stews, sauces and meats.
     Circling the brick walk, I behold more variety: lavender for sachets, tansy's yellow button flowers for dried bouquets, tarragon for vinegar, summer savory for meat dishes, rosemary--pungent and pine-like, a must with chicken, sage for stuffing the Thanksgiving turkey, chamomile for bedtime tea, parsley, dill, chives, cilantro, marjoram, lemon balm, santolina...
     As I continue along the path, I come at last to basil, the most favored of all. Waist-high bushes of highly aromatic green and purple basil remind me that another project today should be to make pesto to enjoy all winter in spaghetti and pizza. And for dinner tonight? That's just been decided too. Pasta tossed with fresh tomato and basil...

HERB GARDEN PESTO


2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts
3 cloves garlic, pressed


In a food processor, combine basil with pine nuts and pulse a few times. Add garlic cloves and pulse a few more times. Slowly add olive oil in a constant stream with food processor on. Stop and stir with a rubber spatula. Add cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Serve with pasta or on bread. Makes 1 cup.