Monday, September 13, 2010
Thai Basil and Ice Cream - Afterthoughts
Thinking back to my post yesterday, it does occur to me that I rather ignored my vegan/vegetarian friends with my ice cream suggestion. My apologies. It also occured to me that, in the spirit of Thai cuisine, thai basil over non-dairy coconut milk ice cream would be a splendid combination.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Two Great Tastes That SHOULDN'T Taste Great Together...But Do
Vanilla Ice Cream and Thai Basil.
Just let that sink in for a minute.
"You've got to be kidding me" was my sweetie's immediate reaction (or something along those lines), as well as any friend I've mentioned this to thus far. At least until she actually tried a bite of it, and ended up having a small bowlful.
No, I wasn't kidding. The basil - a milder, sweeter variety than some, or so I'm told, with a gentle nip of anise/licorice flavoring, is a perfect contrast for the smooth, bland and sweet ice cream. I'm assuming - and perhaps shouldn't - that anyone reading this knows the difference between thai basil and the more-familiar Italian basil, which has an entirely different taste. (PLEASE do not think I've thrown that variety into my ice cream. I may be crazy, but I even I have my limits.)
It was a move born of desperation, I think - what to do with that handful of thai basil sitting on my counter, freshly picked from the garden? So, it was an early evening, that pile of excess basil that we didn't finish at dinner sat on the counter before me, and my sweet tooth was starting to kick in. I had vanilla ice cream in the freezer, but what did I want with it? Something different, yes. Well, what if...? Yes, this will do, very, very nicely.
This is our first year growing it and it's turned out to be hardier - and more productive - than the Italian basil. Perhaps thai basil doesn't mind less-than-ideal soil. Maybe it's a masochist that thrives under a bit of neglect. In any case, I've put it in every soup, salad, and entree I can think of. Not that my sweetie and I are tired of it, by any means (unlike, say, the bumper crop of squash two summers ago), but there are only her and myself here to eat it all, and unfortunately it doesn't dry well, unlike other herbs. I've read that you can freeze it, but that seems less than appealing; thai basil is very delicate, and I can't imagine it's flavor would survive a trip to the Arctic.
So, into soups and salads and entrees and, occasionally, a bowl of ice cream it continues to go, at least for a few more days. If we are lucky. A cold snap has descended rather quickly in Connecticut, and autumn is making it's presence felt and I suspect that my thai basil may soon end up making that trip to the Arctic, after all.
Just let that sink in for a minute.
"You've got to be kidding me" was my sweetie's immediate reaction (or something along those lines), as well as any friend I've mentioned this to thus far. At least until she actually tried a bite of it, and ended up having a small bowlful.
No, I wasn't kidding. The basil - a milder, sweeter variety than some, or so I'm told, with a gentle nip of anise/licorice flavoring, is a perfect contrast for the smooth, bland and sweet ice cream. I'm assuming - and perhaps shouldn't - that anyone reading this knows the difference between thai basil and the more-familiar Italian basil, which has an entirely different taste. (PLEASE do not think I've thrown that variety into my ice cream. I may be crazy, but I even I have my limits.)
It was a move born of desperation, I think - what to do with that handful of thai basil sitting on my counter, freshly picked from the garden? So, it was an early evening, that pile of excess basil that we didn't finish at dinner sat on the counter before me, and my sweet tooth was starting to kick in. I had vanilla ice cream in the freezer, but what did I want with it? Something different, yes. Well, what if...? Yes, this will do, very, very nicely.
This is our first year growing it and it's turned out to be hardier - and more productive - than the Italian basil. Perhaps thai basil doesn't mind less-than-ideal soil. Maybe it's a masochist that thrives under a bit of neglect. In any case, I've put it in every soup, salad, and entree I can think of. Not that my sweetie and I are tired of it, by any means (unlike, say, the bumper crop of squash two summers ago), but there are only her and myself here to eat it all, and unfortunately it doesn't dry well, unlike other herbs. I've read that you can freeze it, but that seems less than appealing; thai basil is very delicate, and I can't imagine it's flavor would survive a trip to the Arctic.
So, into soups and salads and entrees and, occasionally, a bowl of ice cream it continues to go, at least for a few more days. If we are lucky. A cold snap has descended rather quickly in Connecticut, and autumn is making it's presence felt and I suspect that my thai basil may soon end up making that trip to the Arctic, after all.
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