He was right; it was time.
I shopped at Costco for my ingredients, found a good recipe online here, and set out to harvest the pungent green basil.
This is maybe a third of what was out there.I washed and pulled off the leaves to the dulcet strains of Mixed Martial Arts wafting into the kitchen from the TV in the next room--19 year old Chad loves to watch that sport. "It's like street fighting, but civilized..."
My leaves took about 2 hours to prepare. Then came the fun part.
Toasting the pine nuts adds to the flavor of the pesto. You have to be quick, though, or they will scorch.
Basil, salt, olive oil, parmesan, garlic, pine nuts: that's it!
Into the Cuisinart they go....
....and from there, into the freezer.I made one batch with no parmesan for Esther, my son Max's girlfriend who is a vegan. It was actually quite delicious and light without the cheese.
Pizza and pasta with pesto, come winter, will tastily remind us of these warm summer days....
:-)
ReplyDeleteyour basil looks yummy I can smell it from here ;O)
ReplyDeleteYum! Looks good enough, well, to eat. Love having a stash in the freezer for winter, like bringing out a summer day in December. Good work!
ReplyDeletePat
Patricia Rose-A Potpourri of Fabric, Fragrance and Findings
www.patriciarose-apotpourri.com
www.patriciarose-apotpourriof.blogspot.com
I freeze pesto in ice cube trays, then I can use as much as I want to flavor many different dishes--dressing for fish, as a basis for salad dressing that provides fresh basil taste, and more.
ReplyDeleteCilantro pesto is also excellent. Got any cilantro?
Now I really wish we'd planted basil (and lots of it1). Next year....
ReplyDeleteOK Now you've made me very hungry!
ReplyDeleteThis year I only planted one regular basil and one pot of pesto basil - have you ever had it? It is variegated and smells so good.
With pine nuts sounds amazing. We have used almonds before but I think I'll have to try it your way. :)
ReplyDeleteOMG, what a BEAUTIFUL picture of washed basil leaves!!!!!!!! The recipe sounds great and your care in preparing it is so enchanting... If I could eat garlic, I'd be right over! Hugs, Robin
ReplyDeleteI can smell it, too! Yum!
ReplyDeleteLooks yummy, Allie! You're right about warm; in fact it's been down right HOT. Let's hope we all remember these record setting temps this winter!
ReplyDeleteWill trade fabric for pesto! *wink*
ReplyDeleteYUM!!!!
ReplyDeleteI can almost smell it from here!
ReplyDeleteYes.... please... put me on your list too! Nothing like the good stuff! That Head Gardener knows good help when he finds it!!!
ReplyDeleteI wish my basil was a big and healthy as yours. I can dream I guess. ...And buy basil to make pesto for the freezer.
ReplyDeleteDo you know "soupe au Pistou" which is une "spécialité Provençale" ?
ReplyDeleteIn some tiny villages, it happens that people meet on the place of the village to eat together that soup.
Yum! I love home made pesto on a Margarite pizza!!! Doesn't the house smell heavenly after making pesto? They should make a home spray from basil!Glad you took care of that basil,LOL.
ReplyDeleteSmiles,
Pat
Thank you thank you for this recipe. Of course, it would be nice to live near Farmers Robert and Allie...for overflow reasons, of course...but...looks like I'm harvesting mine at the market...
ReplyDeleteWow, great minds think alike. This weekend I was doing the very same thing and I have a blog in the works about just this topic.
ReplyDeleteI do like your idea about toasting the pine nuts and will try that for sure on my very next batch.
Nothing compares to the fragrance of fresh basil leaves!
ReplyDeleteI'm ashamed to say my pesto comes in a jar from the Acme...