Basil Foam

Summer also means plenty of fresh basil. This Basil Foam is an interesting finish for the Tomato Sorbet recipe. If you made it yesterday then you are probably ready to serve it now.
                                                                       Basil Foam

2 big bunches fresh basil -about 4 cups
2 tablespoons very good olive oil
3 1/2. cups spring water  * see note
1 1/2 ounces powdered, unflavoured gelatin (6 envelopes or 42 g.)
4 tablespoons sugar
scant pinch fleur de sel 
about 1 quart spring water for ice bath

 Method:
1.Bloom gelatin in 1/2 cups spring water.
2.Bring the remaining 3 cups to a rapid boil and blanch basil for a bare 30 seconds- just until it is a vibrant green.Remove from water with a spider or colander.Reserve the water.
3.IMMEDIATELY shock drained basil by plunging it into the ice bath of spring water.
4. Dissolve the sugar in the hot blanching water. Place the water in a bowl of ice to cool it down.
5. Stir in the softened gelatin and olive oil and cool the mixture down further.This can be speeded up by adding a zip-top bag full of ice to the hot liquid as it sits in the bowl of ice.
6. Puree the shocked basil leaves with an immersion blender or in a bar blender using just enough of the thickened blanching liquid to make it spin easily.
7. Press the puree through a fine sieve with the back of a wooden spoon.
8. Add the basil puree back to the thickened blanching liquid and pour into an ISI siphon canister.
9.Screw the canister lid on tightly and charge it with two CO2 cartridges.
10.Spray a nice dollop of basil foam on top of each scoop of Tomato Sorbet and add a sprinkle of fleur de sel. Keep remaining basil foam under pressure in the refrigerator.

* By using spring water you avoid the basil turning brown from chlorinated water so spring for the Fiji water .

Summer Time and the Living's easy

Any great new farmer's market info to share? We have the Red Stick market every Saturday morning here in down town Baton Rouge. They have a satellite market on Thursday AM on Perkins Rd. just west of Essen. Support them and go buy some fresh local goodies.