The Taste of Summer

By Louise Durman
Scripps Howard News Service

On a cloudy, cool spring day, Stephen J. Lee warms the cooking class participants with his good humor and delicious dishes.

Lee calls himself "The Herb Meister." Lee had come from his home in Louisville, Ky., to Honey Rock Herb Farm in Louisville, Tenn., to conduct one of his classes for owners D. and Jim Brown in a barn-turned-classroom.

Lee has a degree in culinary arts from the University of Kentucky and studied under a former student of French chef Auguste Escoffier. He formerly operated the Cookbook Cottage, a bookstore and cooking school in Louisville. He is president of the Southeastern chapter of the International Herb Association, which named him Herb Professional of the Year in 2002.

Lee brought along the latest of his four cookbooks, Go Withs, to sell and autograph for class participants. It includes family-favorite side dish (vegetable) recipes seasoned with herbs, natural flavorings and spices.

In his books and in his classes, he emphasizes "CFTS": color, flavor, texture and shape.

Because basil is Herb of the Year 2003, Lee was using Honey Rock's fresh basil in the dishes he prepared. One was a basil spread that participants loved at the tasting following his demo.

He also made a "soup," or skillet dish, that participant Stacy Monday said she was going to make for supper that night. She attended with son Luke, who also likes to cook.

Lee made dried noodles to use in the soup, but he said that commercial dried noodles could be substituted.

Carmelized Onion and Fresh Basil Spread

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. olive oil
1 large onion, yellow Spanish, diced small
1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
one 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
3 Tbs. basil leaves, fresh, shredded fine
dash hot pepper sauce

Preparation:

Heat olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. When hot, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is transparent and just beginning to brown. Add the balsamic vinegar; stir well and continue to cook until most of the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and allow to cool and "age."

Place cooked onion, cream cheese and basil in a bowl and combine well. Season with hot pepper sauce. Serve with plain crackers or toasted bread slices.

Makes about eight servings.

Sopa Seca

Ingredients:

1 or 2 dry chipotle peppers (or jalapeno, or omit)
12 ounces dry noodles (or wide spaghetti)
6 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 large yellow onion, diced small
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped
1 small green pepper, seeded and diced
2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
salt, freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
4 sprigs mint, using leaves, chopped
2 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated

Preparation:

Place chipotle peppers into a bowl with 1 cup of very hot water and allow peppers to reconstitute for 30 minutes. When plump, remove from water, slice in half and remove seeds and stems. Discard water, seeds and stems. Chop peppers and set aside.

Cut dry noodles into bite-sized pieces and set aside. Put 5 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet and place over medium-high heat. When hot, add noodles and fry or sear until noodles are nicely browned. They brown quickly, so be sure to stir them around and turn them over as necessary. Remove from heat and reserve.

In another skillet, put remaining tablespoon of oil and place over medium-low heat. Add onion and begin to cook, slowly, for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. When onions have nicely browned, add garlic, tomatoes, green pepper and reserved chipotle and continue to cook for about 5 minutes.

Add chicken broth, salt and pepper to taste and cooked noodles and stir well. Cover and allow to cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Stir in cilantro and mint. Top with grated cheese. Cover and cook 5 minutes more. Serve hot from skillet.

Pasta Salad With Basil

D. Brown shares this recipe for a summer salad using fresh basil. Basil plants need to be pinched back, she stresses, so use the basil in salads, pesto and with tomatoes.

Ingredients:

8-ounce package of pasta
2 Tbs. mayonnaise
juice of 1 lemon
6 scallions, sliced
1/4 cup basil leaves, torn into small pieces
1/8 cup parsley, chopped fine
one 7-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and sliced
salt, pepper to taste
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
basil leaves, for garnish

Preparation:

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and put in a bowl. Stir in next eight ingredients gently. Top with walnuts. Cool to room temperature. Garnish with additional basil leaves, if desired, and serve.

(Contact Louise Durman of The Knoxville News-Sentinel in Tennessee at www.knoxnews.com.)