garden, pt 4

basil update:

after much deliberation over the advice from my commenters and mom, i decided to remove the now definitely dead basil plant. i'm hoping this was a fluke plant, as i already expressed my concern about overcrowding, and a small weed-out will hopefully only help the remaining herbs flourish.

to solidify my decision, i pruned and came up with my first tiny basil crop of the season. it was very yummy in my pesto orzo w/ chicken & parmesan supper:

1/4 c. fresh or frozen pesto (thank you jane!)
1/2 c. packaged orzo, (cook al dente then drain well)
1/2 lb. chicken, cooked (i use salt & pepper and the george forman)
parmesan cheese to taste (i use the shredded kind - a lot of it)
1 - 2 Tbs of olive oil
small handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped well*

toss all together and salt as needed (my fave salt these days is coarse sea salt). I realize that some of my readers are concerned about carbs, and i readily admit that my orzo is regular pasta from trader joe's. i have not been able to find "healthy" orzo. if anyone has, please let me know!! otherwise, you can sub dreamfield's elbow macaroni. oh, and of note - parmesean cheese is one of the "healthier" cheeses out there. rule of thumb is: the harder the cheese, the healthier it is (AND less lactose).

*this is my fresh addition to the meal - it's not necessary, but gives the dish a kick.