Had a big bunch of basil that was on the verge of going brown so making pesto was the only way to go. I based it on a Mark Bittman recipe that was super easy and fast. A definite idea for summer, good in pastas, on meat, on bruschetta, tomato/basil/mozz salad, etc. And you know pesto is so expensive in stores- this probably only totaled about 3 dollars- another reason to try it out. Kinda wish I could say I used my own home grown basil but those wilted long ago. HOWEVER, my other veggie plants are coming on strong (more on that later) and because of that I've gotten ambitious and started to germinate watermelon and eggplant seeds this past weekend. Viva la veggies.
Homemade Pesto
At least 2 cups lightly packed basil leaves, stems removed
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tbsp. toasted walnuts or pinenuts
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup grated parmesan or other hard cheese (optional)
Salt to taste
Whizz together basil, half of the oil, nuts, crushed garlic cloves in a food processor or blender. When it's smooth gradually add the rest of the oil and adjust the salt level to your liking. Stir in parmesan at the end. That's it! Simple and tasty. You can store it on your fridge for about a week or freeze if you want to keep it longer.
I added an extra garlic clove for an more kick and didn't use as much olive oil but you should adjust it depending on what consistency you prefer.
VvV Amanda
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