Basil Pesto

What does summer taste like? 

PESTO! Bright, nutty, herbaceous, and full of flavor. 

Fortunately, pesto is delicious both when you first make it and also freezes beautifully for months when well-sealed, so you can enjoy it long after summer is over. You'll thank yourself on some cold dark December day when you're feeling uninspired about making dinner.

Follow these simple instructions and feel free adapt it to suit your tastes and dietary needs. The only musts are oil, basil, and salt although I'd make a strong case for garlic. You can make it without nuts and/or without cheese with excellent results. 

Things you can play around with:

• Type of nuts - pine nuts, roasted cashews, walnuts, roasted almonds are all options.
• Herbs - carrot tops make a delicious pesto, ditto cilantro, and you can add parsley, too. Adding some wild ramp leaves or garlic mustard greens also gives pesto a different flavor and zip when those are in season.

I like to make a batch without nuts and a batch without cheese to freeze so I can accomodate those who can't eat nuts or dairy. To keep them straight in my freezer, I label the dairy-free batch Pesto Daniel in honor of a family member who can't eat dairy and the nut-free batch Pesto Luca in honor of our son's friend who has a nut allergy. 

Here is a quick video showing my process (speeded up a bit!)

If you're feeling fancy, feel free to grind this all by hand in a mortar and pestle but as I am usually short on time and also dealing with a huge amount of basil to process, the food processor is my tool of choice.

-- print recipe --

Basil Pesto
Makes 2/3 cup

Ingredients

• 2 cups (packed) fresh basil leaves, washed and dried thoroughly
• 1 clove of garlic , peeled and chopped
• 1/4 cup pinenuts
• 1/4 cup parmesan or romano cheese, grated (optional)
• 1/3 cup 4xtra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt to taste

Directions

1. Place the basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic and cheese in the bowl of a cuisinart or other food processor and add the salt.
2. Turn the food processor on and add the olive oil in a steady stream. Blend/process until smooth or to desired consistency.
3. Taste the pesto and adjust the salt as needed. Transfer to an air tight jar or container with a tight lid and top with olive oil to slow oxidation, preserving that bright green color.
4. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks or in the freezer for several months. The top of the pesto will turn brown as it oxidizes but it is still good and if you dig down below the top, the rest should still be that lovely brilliant green.

You might also like:

Grilled Eggplant Stacks with Tomato, Feta & Basil

Eat Your Invasives: Garlic Mustard Greens Pesto

Summer Pasta with Tomatoes, Corn, Basil & Bacon

---

Want more recipes, green home, and gardening tips? Sign up for emails from The Garden of Eating.