Who Else Loves Pesto & Summer Foods?

I LOVE basil!!! It is one of my favorite herbs.  If I could eat basil, berries and dark chocolate every day, I would be a very happy woman 😉

The basil is grown in a 4 X 8 foot raised bed.  We have been eating a little of it in salads, sandwiches, and other dishes, but the big harvest is now here!!!

And I make Pesto!  Hopefully enough to last till next summer.  I eat it on toast, baked potatoes, pasta…even by the spoonful 🙂 Pesto reminds of sunshine, summer and warm days.

Here’s the recipe:

Basic Garden Pesto
Pesto is one of my all-time favorite foods and reminds me that sunny summers are just around the corner. I really like to have enough in the freezer to use until the next summer harvest. It freezes really well and can be frozen with or without the nuts and cheese added. I usually add them at serving time.

Pesto is great on toast, added to minestrone soup, topping for baked potatoes, on grilled or baked chicken or fish, corn on the cob, atop steamed vegetables or our family favorite; sautéed vegetables and chicken, pesto on top of steaming hot pasta. Pass the Parmesan, please.

6 cloves of garlic
2 cups fresh basil leaves, if you don’t have this much basil use some: kale, spinach, chard, oregano, parsley, etc.
1/3 cup good quality olive oil
1 tsp. salt
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds, pinenuts or walnuts, finely chopped
In a food processor combine all the ingredients except the cheese and nuts. Process the mixture in short bursts until it is smooth. It should not be soupy. If it is too oily, you can add more basil. If it’s too dry add a little more oil. Scrape down the sides as you work. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in parmesan cheese and nuts. Place in a covered container and chill. It will last up to a week in the refrigerator.