Basil Pesto

Bernadine in our kitchen downstairs

Frequently a guest will ask Dave, "Dave, what is that great smell coming from downstairs?".  Well, it's usually the Pesto that I'm cooking with!

I grow Basil outdoors all summer.  I can just clip away at the plant whenever I need some.  At the end of the season I harvest all the greens and make one large batch of pesto.  Then I freeze it in ice cube trays, separate the cubes into freezer bags (about 6 pesto cubes per bag) and in the winter, if I need some, I just pull a bag out of the freezer and let it thaw.

Here's the recipe I use most often:
4 cups loosely packed basil leaves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 garlic cloves, halved
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted or not
1/2 cup olive oil

Put the basil, cheese, garlic and salt in a food processor; cover and pulse until chopped. Add nuts; cover and process until blended. While processing, gradually add oil in a steady stream.  If you need to you can add more oil to make the mixture fluid, like salad dressing.

Ways to use Pesto:
Toss with pasta or roasted vegetables
Spread on toasted baguette slices
Blend with mayo for a sandwich spread
Mix into mashed potatoes, meat loaf, casseroles or salads
Coat your favorite meat or fish with pesto, dip into bread crumbs, and pan fry
Stuff pesto into chicken breasts, steaks or burgers.

At http://www.lostartofdomesticity.blogspot.com/ you can see a blog about my parsley plant and what great success I've had with that.  It's a pretty easy thing to grow!  It likes shade/sun, mostly indirect sun, so it gets enough in our lower level living quarters from the patio doors all winter long.  I snip it up and use it in soups, salads, pasta dishes and more!