Garlic Pesto

 

Jeez, it's hot!  These 100 plus degree days have really been taking a toll on my garden.  Between the heat and our upcoming vacation to Mexico (where it is 20 degrees cooler - yay!), I knew I had to do something with my herbs before I lost them!  I can't tell you how pleased I was to bring in a beautiful, full crop of basil.  Look at those gorgeous leaves!

In a way, I almost feel silly writing a recipe for pesto.  Pesto is one of those foods that can be made a million different ways and still be amazing.   Just doing a search for "pesto" on Allrecipes.com yielded 588 results!  Yikes.  I'm not sure that I can really say that my recipe beats those 588 others, but I thought I would share it anyway because, darn, it's good!  It's also a food made for hot weather.  Use it in a pasta salad, with a tomato and slice of bread, or as a spread in a sandwich.

Garlic Pesto
Makes about a cup

4 cups packed fresh basil, washed and dried
1/2 cup parsley (optional - it makes the basil go a little farther)
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted and cooled
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
3-4 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for storage

Place basil, parsley, pine nuts, parmesan, and garlic in a food processor.  Process, adding oil in a stream until all ingredient are fully integrated.  I like to make my pesto a little dry since it's easier to store, but feel free to add more oil if using the pesto right away.  If not, pesto should be mixed with more olive oil to make it "spreadable" right before use.

Transfer to a canning jar or other storage container.  Top with a layer of olive oil.  Jars can be stored in the refrigerator for several days or placed in the freezer for several months.

You can try many variations of this recipe.  Try adding more or less cheese, olives, or sun-dried tomatoes!  The possibilities are endless!