Basil/4 recipes

Tuscan peasant soup with sliced Italian sausage, zucchini, celery, basil, and tomato in a rich beef broth. Slow cooker comfort that perfumes the whole house. Served with garlic-buttered French toast.

Hearty crockpot vegetable soup with TVP, pinto beans, okra, rice, and tomatoes. Dump everything in, cook for 6 hours, and get a thick, protein-rich soup that tastes anything but meatless.

Chunky Italian sausage baked in a hearty tomato and vegetable casserole with red wine, oregano, and melted cheese on top. A Sicilian-style one-dish dinner ready in an hour.

Spaghetti with shrimp and browned eggplant in a fresh tomato-basil sauce. A Sicilian-style pasta with sea and garden in one bowl, finished with parmesan.

Boiled crayfish tails tossed with spinach, Belgian endive, blanched green beans, and fresh herbs, dressed in nutty hazelnut oil. A refined French-inspired seafood salad ready in 45 minutes.

Stuffed mushroom caps filled with a Mediterranean eggplant and tomato mixture brightened with garlic, basil and parsley. A make-ahead vegetarian appetizer you can serve warm or at room temperature.

Plomeek soup, a pureed orange vegetable soup with carrots, turnip, potatoes, and tomato paste, garnished with a galaxy-swirl of sour cream. Star Trek inspired.

Greek roasted eggplant and feta dip blends smoky broiled eggplant with briny feta, sweet red pepper, fresh basil, and lemon. A vegetarian Mediterranean dip for pita, crackers, or crudités.

Mediterranean seafood casserole layers bay scallops and salmon in a tomato-herb sauce with potato chunks, topped with thin potato slices and baked until bubbly. Coastal-style family dinner.

Beef and corn pie with seasoned ground beef, green peppers, and tomato sauce baked in a cornmeal crust and topped with melted cheddar. A homestyle savory pie for weeknight family dinners.

No-cook spinach pesto pasta sauce with fresh basil, parsley, pine nuts, ripe tomatoes, garlic, and Parmesan. Blender-quick, served at room temperature over hot pasta.

Garden herb bread baked in the bread machine: white bread loaf infused with chives, marjoram, thyme, and basil for a fragrant sandwich or dinner bread. Hands-off, ready in about an hour.

Split pea soup with fennel, potatoes, and green peas pureed into a creamy base then finished with fresh basil and parsley. A vegan harvest soup with anise-sweet depth.

Delicious Australian lamb and pesto with healthy vegetables on the side

Houlihan's baked potato soup copycat with real baked russet potatoes, butter-onion roux, cream, and instant potato flakes for thickness. Topped with cheddar, bacon, and scallions.

Avocado and mozzarella stuffed tomatoes hollow out vine-ripe tomatoes and fill them with cubed avocado and fresh mozzarella tossed in basil-balsamic vinaigrette. Five-minute summer appetizer with caprese-salad bones.