karismar

this is the recipe I use for making pesto. I had to harvest both of my basil plants before they went to seed and need to get this pesto made. Hopefully I will be rewarded with a new crop in a few weeks, providing that the rain goes away and lets sunshine in!

Basil Pesto

If you plan to freeze this pesto, briefly cook the basil in salted water before mixing with other ingredients as this will help preserve its bright color and fresh taste. Traditionally this is made with cheese but it freezes better without. Go ahead and add a little of your favorite cheese after the pesto has thawed. I used Asiago or Parmesan Reggiano.

1cup pine nuts or walnuts

coarse salt/ground pepper

8cups packed fresh basil leaves

2cloves garlic coarsely chopped

2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

boil 4 cups of salted water. Submerge basil and immediately drain in a cooler. Rinse with cold water until cool and then pat dry. In a food processor combine nuts, basil and garlic. Season generously with salt and pepper and process until nuts are finely chopped. With the machine running, pour oil in and process until smooth. Use immediately or freeze.