With a plethora of perfect beans, I decided to briefly blanch them and serve them with a piquant basil aioli. Flavored with fresh gorgeous basil, garlic and lemon, I then add some parsley and chives and really amp up the flavor with some anchovies. Not too much anchovy, just enough to make the other flavors pop.
Summer is prime time for perfect, fresh herbs and vegetables from your own garden or farmer’s market. In our house we are mostly eating them raw and plain as fast as we pick them but sometimes we want that little extra. Fresh and simple veggies and dip garnished with beautiful flowering oregano, this is the essence of a summer garden.
What Is Aioli
Aioli is a traditional French sauce made simply with egg yolks, lots of garlic, olive oil and seasoned with a little lemon juice and mustard. This sauce has all those ingredients except mustard but adds in the anchovy and herbs so it could also be called a flavored mayonnaise.
Ways To Serve Fresh Veggies
Fresh raw vegetables are at their peak in the summer and there is no easier way to eat them than simply dipping and eating raw. Here I have blanched the beans to make them extra tender but most vegetables are just fine completely raw.
A favorite simple spring or summer recipe is Garden Salad, made by using whatever is growing on that particular day. Alternatively, you can make your dressing out of raw fruits and veg like I do with Carrot Apple Ginger Salad Dressing and if you’re in the mood for cooking, I love Roasted Eggplant Dip.
Below are some fun and easy centerpieces also foraged from the garden and arranged simply in mason jars that added a little color to our casual summer party. I love decorating and garnishing plates with fun little flowers, herbs and leaves from my garden.
Basil Aioli with Garlic and Lemon
Ingredients
- 2 Egg Yolks
- 1 Garlic Clove, Crushed
- 1 c Basil And Other Herbs, Coarsely Chopped and Packed To Equal 1 Cup I used basil, parsley, chives and thyme
- 1 c Olive Oil
- 1 Juice of 1 Lemon
- 4 Anchovy Fillets
- 1 tbsp Sherry Vinegar Red wine vinegar is a fine substitute
- 1 tsp Pepper
- 1/2-1 tsp Salt or to taste Add after anchovies and adjust as needed
- 6 drops Hot Sauce (Tobasco)
Instructions
- Using a high powered blender or hand held blender, start blending egg yolks and garlic. Add half of herbs and lemon juice if you need to add more volume to reach the blades.
- With blender running, slowly start adding oil. Start with a few drops at a time until it starts thickening and then you can start adding it faster.
- Once half of oil has been incorporated, add rest of ingredients except salt and then continue blending and adding oil until finished. If sauce gets too thick, add a little water a teaspoon at a time until desired consistency is reached. Taste and adjust salt blending well after adding.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 4 days and serve with raw or blanched veggies. This French sauce is very versatile and is delicious on salads, sandwiches and chicken too!
Beautiful platter and flower arrangements and tasty looking recipe :). And I learned a new word !
Thank you, it was fun dressing up the platter with flowering herbs and beggies from the garden, an economical veggie plate!
What’s no to love about all the summer bounty? And you are making the most of this with this scrumptious aioli. The anchovies are a great idea!
Thank you Colleen! Glad you’re an anchovy lover too-they add such great flavour and can be quite subtle when used in moderation. Cheers 🙂
Those flower arrangements are beautiful! Wildflowers are my favorites! Your pictures scream summer and joy and outdoor time. As for the basil anchovy aioli, Loreto is the guy, so I’m going to ask him to make it for us. It sounds delicious!
Grazie mille Nicoletta! I hope you two are enjoying summer and that you get to enjoy this aioli too 🙂 Cheers!
What a gorgeous platter Sabrina! That aioli looks perfect for dipping and those veggies look so fresh and vibrant! You make me want to start my own garden!
Thanks Leanne, that’s my goal! Even if people just have a little planter of herbs or tomatoes on their porch. I find gardening so therapeutic:-) I hope your having a wonderful summer, cheers!
Oh I love anchovies so much but I only ever put them on pizza! I have a full pot of basil growing on my patio right now so I know what I’ll be making as soon as it’s ready. Yum!
Thanks my fellow anchovy-lover! Enjoy 🙂
Sabrina I’m so excited for this dip. We are eating veggie and charcuterie platters on repeat this summer and it’s so great to have a new and interesting dip to pair up with it. Thanks s much for sharing.
You’re welcome and thank you for your kind comments! I’m sooo doing the same, cool easy platters of veg, cheese and meats is where it’s at. Enjoy your summer!
I am sooo excited to make this- I finally have my own basil!! Thanks for the great idea🙂
Yay for growing your own basil! It’s one of my most used herbs in the summer-so delicious in this and other Mediterranean dishes as well as southeastern Asian curries and salads. Enjoy!
This sounds absolutely delicious! I have lots of basil I need to use – I know what I’m doing with it!
Thanks Terri 🙂 I hope you love it as much as we do!