This one's Roselin's & it's excellent: Tomato Basil Soup 8c pureed tomatoes, simmer for 30 minutes. Add: 1 can chicken broth 1/2c butter` 1/2 pint whipping cream 6T minced fresh basil Simmer 15-20 minutes. Serve topped with Parmesan Cheese Here's another I like very much: TOMATO BISQUE (serves 6) 1 medium onion, sliced thin 1 TBL butter 2 lbs ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded & chopped 1 bay leaf 1 heaping TBL brown sugar 2 tsp finely chopped fresh basil (I use at least double that) 2 whole cloves 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 2 cups light cream (half-and-half) 1 cup milk 2 TBL chopped chives 6 large croutons, buttered In a heavy saucepan, saute the onion in the butter for 5 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes, bay leaf, brown sugar, basil, cloves, salt & pepper. simmer, stirring occasionally until the tomatoes are thoroughly cooked, about 25 minutes. Remove the bay leaf & cloves & transfer the mixture to a blender or processor to puree. Strain. Add the cream & milk & heat through. Sprinkle with chopped chives. Serve topped with toasted buttered croutons.~~Colorado Cache

When I moved from Maryland I lost my LaMadeleine's and I really miss having it close by..my daughter said that is one of the things she misses the most along with the LL Bean store.

Baked Vegetables with Basil Butter 6 cups mixed sliced vegetables (carrots, cauliflower, capsicum, beans, zucchini, broccoli etc) 6 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves or 2 tablespoons dried basil 2 tablespoons parsley pinch nutmeg Put vegetables through a processor until fluffy. Cut 6 pieces foil about 30cm square. Place vegetables evenly on each piece and top each with 1 1/2 tablespoons basil butter. Carefully bring up edges of foil and fold into packets securely, but leaving a little air space inside. Bake at 180C for 20 minutes until tender. Basil Beer Bread 3 cups self raising flour 3 tablespoons sugar 1/2 cup chopped basil leaves 1 1/2 cups warm beer Preheat oven to 180°C. Combine flour and sugar, stir in the basil, then the beer. Mix thoroughly, then pour into a well-greased loaf tin. Bake until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Turn out and cool on a wire rack. Slice thinly to serve. It is delicious toasted. Chicken with Basil Sauce 4 kg chicken fillets 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese 1 tablespoon chopped parsley 125g bacon, chopped 90g butter 2 garlic cloves 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard Preheat oven to 190°C. Combine breadcrumbs, cheese and parsley. Saute bacon and drain on absorbent paper. Add the bacon to the breadcrumb mix. This is the crumb topping for the chicken. In a pan, melt the butter, then add the garlic, Worcestershire sauce and mustard. Mix and heat through. Coat the chicken fillets with the butter mixture by dipping them in the saucepan. Arrange in a shallow, ovenproof dish. Press the bread crumb mixture on top of the chicken pieces. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes. Basil Sauce: 1/2 cup oil 1/4 cup white vinegar 1 garlic clove, crushed 1/2 cup cream 1 egg yolk 1 cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped Combine all ingredients except the egg yolk. Stir until heated and then add the egg yolk, stirring until thickened. Do not boil. Pour the hot sauce over the chicken pieces just before serving. Tomato Basil Lasagna 300g no-cook lasagne noodles 2 tablespoons olive oil 500g shredded mozzarella cheese 400g tin chopped tomatoes, drained well 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs olive oil Preheat oven to 200°C. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Meanwhile, combine the mozzarella, drained tomatoes, garlic, basil, olive oil and 2/3 cups of the grated Parmesan. Cook several noodles at a time, cooking for 2 minutes. Drain well. Coat the bottom of a glass baking dish with olive oil. Line the bottom of the pan with noodles and cover with a layer of the mozzarella mixture. Repeat layers until all noodles and filling are used, ending with a layer of pasta. Sprinkle the top with the remaining Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs and a light drizzle of olive oil. Bake, uncovered for 20 minutes, until bubbly and top is golden. Allow to sit 10 minutes before serving. Tomato Basil Relish 2 cups loosely packed fresh basil 1/3 cup orange juice 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar 1 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 4 or 5 ripe tomatoes Chop the basil finely. Core and dice the tomatoes. Mix together basil, juice, vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper and tomatoes in bowl. Refrigerate for at least one hour. Serve with grilled chicken, or grilled vegetables. Basil Dressing 1/2 cup plain yoghurt 3 tablespoons cottage cheese 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh basil 1 teaspoon sugar 1 tablespoon herb vinegar salt and black pepper, to taste Place all ingredients except salt and pepper into a blender and puree until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Basil and Tomato Sauce for Pasta 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, crushed 500g tinned chopped tomatoes 240ml water 2 tablespoons sweet sherry 2 tablespoons chopped basil 2 tablespoons chopped parsley 1 teaspoon sugar salt and pepper Heat the oil in a pan, add the onion and garlic and saute until soft, stirring from time to time. Add the tomatoes, water, sugar, salt, pepper and sherry, bring to the boil then simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until thickened. Add the herbs, mix well and serve immediately. Basil Cream Sauce for Pasta 2 cups fresh basil leaves 4 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 cup olive oil 60g pine nuts 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese salt and pepper to taste 600ml light cream In a food processor, combine basil and garlic. Begin processing, and pour in olive oil in a thin stream. Process for about 40 seconds, or until mixture begins to emulsify. Add pine nuts and Parmesan, then blend for 1 minute. Heat cream in a saucepan over low heat until simmering. Pour half the hot cream into the processor with basil pesto, and pulse for 20 seconds to incorporate. Pour mixture back into cream, and simmer for 5 minutes, or until thickened. Serve over pasta.

I came across this recipe in my "Moosewood Lowfat Favorites" cookbook. You could add cream to it to make it richer. Southwestern Corn and Potato Soup 1 cup finely chopped onion 2 minced garlic cloves 1 small fresh chili, seeded and minced 1/4 tsp. salt 3 cups vegetable stock (or chicken stock I guess, I dunno, I'm a vegetarian) 2 tsp. ground cumin 1 med. sweet potato, diced (about 2 cups) Can use a yam I'm sure. 1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped 3 cups frozen corn or fresh corn salt to taste Garnish with lime wedges and finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves. In coverd soup pot, simmer the onions, garlic, chile, and salt in 1 cup of the vegetable stock for about 10 minutes or until the onions are soft. In a small bowl, make a paste with the cumin and 1 TBLSP of the stock, stir into the pot and simmer for another 1-2 min. Add the sweet potato and the remaining stock and simmer for about 10 min until the sweet potatoes soften. Add the bell pepper and corn, simmer covered for another 10 min, or until all the vegetables are tender. Puree half the soup in a blender or food processor (or use a stick blender, I love mine for this!). Return puree to the pot. The soup will be creamy and thick. Add salt to taste and gently reheat on low. For more of a bisque I think you could puree the whole batch. I make squash soup like this and I like mine a little hotter with more chili. I'd be tempted to make this as is and then add a dollop of cream fraiche or sour cream at serving time.