amber said:
Does anyone know how to make basil paste? Also, when I freeze fresh basil leaves, should I remove the leaves from the stem?
Amber hope I undertand correctly. Haven't heard of basil paste, but first thing that comes to mind is pesto (made with basil). Second part re freezing basil leaves, honestly dont know the answer. But, what I wanted to offer is a handy-dandy trick for freezing pesto in cubes.
Frozen Cubes of Pesto
Basil Pesto can be frozen and popped out of the ice-cube tray when the need arises.
You can freeze pesto in an ice tray spritzed with vegetable oil spray. Snap the cubes out of the tray and store them in
heavy-duty storage bags. Then you can throw the individual frozen cubes into pasta sauces and stews, or toss with plain hot noodles. Or thaw it and spread on sandwiches. Each cube is about 2 tablespoons, and add them to taste. A little goes a long way.
Any recipe that would benefit from fresh basil and a bit of Parmesan is a good candidate for a pesto cube. They will freeze up to three months.
Basil Pesto
2 medium-size garlic cloves
2 cups basil leaves (from a 4-ounce package), tightly
packed
1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Peel garlic cloves and drop them through the feed tube of a food processor onto moving blade. Chop finely, and leave chopped garlic in bowl.
Rinse and dry basil leaves, removing any large, tough stems. (A lettuce spinner works well for drying.) Add basil, nuts and cheese to the processor and finely chop. Scrape down sides of bowl.
With motor running, pour olive oil in thin stream through feed tube. Continue until it is mixed in. Remove pesto from bowl, stirring in any olive oil that did not incorporate. Serve at once or freeze up to 3 months. Makes about 1 cup.