Basil is so easy to cultivate, and a complement to so many dishes, that you should consider cultivating some homegrown. You can also pick up basil at the farmers’ market. A staple in Italian cooking, basil shines in pesto, a sauce originating in the Genoa region, not coincidentally home to a world-famous strain of basil. This cannabis-infused pesto tastes amazing, freezes well, and can be stored in the fridge for up to five days. When storing, always cover the surface with a thin layer of oil and plastic wrap to keep it from turning brown. You can toss this pesto over pasta, use it as a condiment in sandwiches, or eat it as a dip with crostini or crackers. If you’d like to try pairing a particular cannabis strain with basil, use Genovese basil and look for ganja with a citrusy aroma, indicating the presence of limonene, a terpene also found in basil plants. Try Lemon Skunk or Super Lemon Haze if you’re so inclined. Consider drizzling the finished bruschetta with a few spoonfuls of Medicated Balsamic Vinaigrette.
STONES 10
PESTO
3 tablespoons walnuts, chopped
2 cups basil, firmly packed
Pinch sea salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
½ to ¾ cup THC olive oil (see recipe)
BRUSCHETTA
1 large loaf ciabatta bread, cut into 1-inch-thick slices
3 tablespoons THC olive oil (see recipe)
2 or 3 heirloom or organic farmers’ market tomato, sliced
Medicated Balsamic Vinegar (optional)
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. To make the pesto, warm a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the walnuts and toast them, stirring often, for a few minutes, until you smell their aroma. Remove from heat and let cool. Rub the walnuts over a metal strainer to remove as much of the papery skins as you can.
3. In a food processor, slowly grind the walnuts to a rough flour.
4. Meanwhile, wash and pat dry the basil. Remove the stems before tearing the leaves into tiny pieces by hand.
5. Add the basil, salt, garlic, and Parmesan to the walnut flour in the food processor. While the processor is running, add ½ to ¾ cup of the THC olive oil through the top chute, pouring in a slow steady stream until well blended. Add more salt or oil until you’re pleased with the flavor and consistency.
6. To make the bruschetta, brush the bread slices with the THC olive oil, and toast in the oven for about 3 minutes on a baking sheet, until lightly browned. Remove from the oven, and top each bread slice with slices of the tomato. Return to the oven for 5 minutes. Remove, top with the pesto and Medicated Balsamic Vinegar (if using), and enjoy!
This salad dressing is a simple, easy way for a health-conscious patient to consume cannabis. You can keep this dressing in your fridge for two weeks and use it over many different salads or as a dipping sauce for crusty bread. Drizzle it over fresh, ripe, locally grown heirloom tomatoes and serve with slices of artisanal mozzarella; enjoy it on a salad composed of spinach, dried cranberries, blue or feta cheese, and glazed walnuts; or over the top of the Kind Bud Bruschetta with Pot Pesto.
STONES 4
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
Onion powder to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
¾ cup THC olive oil (see recipe)
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
Combine the brown sugar, mustard, garlic, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl and mix well. Whisking vigorously until blended, add THC olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Chef Evan Budman is a cannabis chef in Colorado who created this vinaigrette as an easy way to enjoy cannabis in salads. After recovering from back surgery, Evan began cooking with cannabis as an alternative to addictive pharmaceutical painkillers. He began distributing his creations to other patients, and was offered a position as the head chef of a new dispensary with a focus on edibles. Currently, Evan is on staff at Wellspring, a medical marijuana center in Denver, Colorado, a place where patients come first. As a budding chef, Evan hopes to continue teaching and sharing his recipes, as well as fighting for safe access for Colorado medical marijuana patients.