Basil Pesto

Fresh pesto is bursting with herby garlicky bold 

flavors. Whenever my basil plant starts to get

 "leggy" I give it a good trim. It encourages the

 plant to get thicker, and it will make a 

great pesto. 

Strip the leaves from the stems.  Wash them

 in cold water in the bowl of a salad spinner. 

Rinse several times if needed until the water

 is clear. Then spin the leaves dry. 

I don't follow an exact recipe, just toss it all 

in the food processor and give it a good whirl, 

but I'll give you the recipe below to get you 

started. You can add more or less of anything 

to get it to your liking. You can also use almost

 any nuts: pine nuts, walnuts, or almonds. 

Add the nuts and garlic to the bowl of a food

 processor. Process until roughly chopped. Add

 the basil packing it down. Process until pureed. 

With the machine running, slowly add  the olive oil

 until it reaches your desired consistency. Add the

cheese, salt and pepper to taste. pulse a few times

 to blend. Total processing time will be

about 1-2 minutes. 

Store in a lidded jar adding a light film of olive oil

 on top of the pesto. So many ways to use it: with 

grilled shrimp, salmon, in a sandwich, as a dip with

 warm crusty bread, in pasta, topping for an omelet, 

grilled chicken, and more.

You'll want to make it all summer long. 

Basil Pesto

2 C tightly packed basil leaves

2 L cloves garlic, peeled

1/4 C pine nuts or walnuts

about 1/2 C olive oil

1/2 C parmesan cheese

1/2 t salt ~ 1/4 t pepper

Wash the basil leaves in cold water

and dry in a salad spinner. Add the nuts and

garlic to a food processor and process until

roughly chopped. add the basil; process again.

With the machine running add the oil and run

until pureed. Add the cheese, salt and pepper.

Run again until desired consistency. 

Enjoy!

Links:  Between Naps On The Porch,

Coastal Charm, Dwellings, 

Posted in: Mixed