"A man taking basil from a woman will love her always." Sir Thomas Moore

Happy Monday morning, my loyal followers! First of all, I must mention Kevin's Dad's 65th birthday party. The celebration was great! Ron shared his party with his friend Christina and fun was had by all! Great food, drink (I must say, the punch, a.k.a. 'Mystery Juice' was fabulous!), and music made for a fantastic night! Kevin's family and friends have welcomed me with open arms and I am so happy to be a part of the gang! Yippy!
Ahhh, basil... For me, no other herb says summer more. I love basil! It's aroma, it's taste. Beautiful! Years ago, before I got into Chefs school, I worked at an Italian restaurant in Hamilton. When summer came, the owner would bring in bushels of basil plants for us in the kitchen. As the apprentice, it was my job to pick the leaves, gently wash them and load them into large colanders. The Chef would then process the basil with extra virgin olive oil and sea salt, then put the puree into containers to freeze. A great way to have fresh basil all year round! So, maybe it's just me but when I think basil, my mind automatically goes to two other ingredients. Come on, guess what they are! You're right followers (you know me too well!), tomatoes and bocconcini cheese. Yum!

 I love the subtlety of bocconcini cheese! For those of you who aren't familiar, bocconcini is an Italian cheese. It comes in the shape of balls and the name translates into 'small mouthfuls.' It is a fresh, unripened cheese and is made from cow's or buffalo's milk. The buffalo milk bocs are a bit hard to find, but if you have the chance, buy some! The flavour is quite different and delicious! For my friends' wedding I catered, I made cherry tomato and bocconcini skewers with fresh basil. Super easy to make and super tasty! I sprinkled the skewers with sea salt before serving and had balsamic vinegar and a really nice extra virgin olive oil on the side, if people wanted a little drizzle. The same ingredients can be made into a salad, just halve the cherry tomatoes. Personally, I would skip the vinegar and just enjoy a drizzle of oil. A good quality extra virgin olive oil is one of my most favourite things and believe me, you wouldn't even miss the vinegar. The oil has all the flavour you need!
Well, here we are in the height of summer and now is the time to enjoy fresh Ontario grown veggies and herbs picked from the garden. Get out there and enjoy them as much as you can, followers! I promise you won't regret it!