Mint and Basil: Cool It Down

It's been 90+ degrees every day for the last week in L.A. The Angeles National Forest is burning, covering the city in a veil of ash, which really isn't helping matters. Unfortunately, for yeast-free foodies such as myself, relief can't come in the form of gelato, an iced blended mocha, or a cold noodle salad. So, I've turned to my air conditioner -- power bills be damned -- and my favorite cooling herbs: mint and basil.


I love combining mint and basil into a pesto to eat with lamb, but this week I used the herbs in separate, complimentary dishes: basil-pesto-marinated turkey breasts along with a mouthful of a Greek dish, "kolokythakia me dyosmo," which basically means "baked zucchini with mint."


The pesto for the turkey breasts is yeast-free friendly. I use a load of fresh basil, sunflower seeds instead of pine nuts (which aren't OK until phase 3 of the diet), and good-quality olive oil. Marinating the turkey (or chicken, if you please) keeps it extra juicy and flavorful, and the sunflower seeds in the pesto give the breasts a nice sort of crust. The zucchini -- first fried and then baked -- are so luscious paired with fresh mint and crumbled goat cheese that I don't want to make the vegetable any other way now. Here I am grumbling about the heat of summer's last hurrah, but I'll feel downright wistful when the coolness of fall finally takes grip, and my squashes and herbs disappear from the farmers market.


Fresh Basil Pesto
adapted from From the Earth to the Table by John Ash
2 cups firmly packed fresh basil leaves
Two garlic cloves, peeled
3 tablespoons roasted (unsalted) sunflower seeds
1/3 cup olive oil (can substitute oil of choice)


Plunge the basil leaves into a pan of boiling water for 5 to 10 seconds.  Immediately drain and plunge into a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking and set the bright green color [Note:  you'll be thankful you did this, really.  Your leftover pesto won't turn brown by the next day.].  Drain and squeeze out excess water.  In a food processor or blender, combine the basil, garlic, sunflower seeds, and oil, and puree.

Pesto-Marinated Turkey Breasts
4 boneless, skinless turkey breast tenderloins (about 1.5 lbs)
Fresh basil pesto


Marinate the turkey in the pesto 4-24 hours.  Preheat oven to 375.  Place the breasts in a baking dish and pour the extra marinade over them.  Bake for 35-45 minutes, checking for doneness.  


Kolokythakia me Dyosmo
Baked Zucchini with Mint
 adapted from Nancy Gaifyllia for About.com

1.5 pounds zucchini
4 tablespoons fresh spearmint leaves, slivered into pieces
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
2 cloves of garlic, crushed (optional)

good quality olive oil (or other oil of choice)
sea salt

Preheat the oven to 375 (unless the oven is already hot for the pesto turkey).  Trim the ends of the zucchini and cut in 1/4 inch thick slices top to bottom.  In a small bowl, combine the goat cheese, garlic, and mint leaves, tossing gently with a fork.  Saute the zucchini in the oil until soft, browning the edges slightly.  Place in a shallow ungreased baking dish, one slice next to the other.  Sprinkle with the cheese-garlic-mint mixture and bake 30 minutes.