The Goal is Scrumptious: Fresh Italian Wrap

Guess what? I did something I’ve NEVER done before.

I bought a basil plant.  Isn’t it beautiful?

Some of you may be wondering just why this is so exciting.  You may even have fresh herbs that you cook with from your own garden. (If you do, I SO admire you!)

Alas, I do not have a garden.

I am dreaming of a garden someday, but it’s not a possibility in our current living situation.  So, I have spent much of my cooking life using dried herbs… mainly because the fresh herbs would go bad before I could use the whole store bought bunch. It felt wasteful.  But as I experiment more with cooking, I am finding more and more ways to use the fresh herbs.

Is it silly of me to have missed the obvious for so many years?  Fresh herbs make food taste… fresher.  I feel as though a whole new level of cooking has opened up to me.

When I went to the store, I intended to just pick up a package of basil leaves, but the plant was almost the same price, so I decided to try it.  I’ve been dreaming of an indoor herb garden, too.  This basil is the first, I hope, of many.

It’s living in a sweet little window that juts out above my kitchen sink, soaking in the sunlight.  I’m determined to repot it this week so it can continue providing fresh basil for the recipes to come.

In the meantime, I couldn’t wait to sample it. Even in the store, the spicy aroma tickled my nose and titillated my taste buds.  When I got home, I gently pinched off a few leaves and whipped up this quick Italian wrap.

The leaves crunched lightly with each bite, dancing with the juicy tomatoes in my mouth.   It tasted like a summer garden.  After one wrap I instantly craved another.  Just one more taste.

I am falling in love with this beautiful plant.

Fresh Italian Wrap (makes one 6-inch wrap)

Ingredients:

• 1 flour tortilla, 6 inch
• 5-6 pepperoni slices
• 1-2 tomato slices, cut in half
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Sprinkle of mozzarella
• 2-3 fresh basil leaves

Directions:

Layer pepperoni and tomato slices down the center of the tortilla. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and mozzarella. Top with fresh basil leaves and fold the sides of the tortilla up over the filling. Devour and repeat, as necessary.

I would love to hear about some of your experiences with fresh herbs.  Do you have a favorite that you use often?  Have you ever wanted or do you already have an herb garden?

Have a wonderful day!

~Katie