August 12, 2010

Pesto!







My favorite thing to make this summer has been pesto. Freshly picked basil is available at the Richmond Farmer's Market for $1.50/bundle. The farm stand that sells the basil is also organic, which is awesome!!

I make pesto a variety of different ways. I use basil or cilantro, almonds or walnuts, Parmesan or feta. It's fun to mix it up and try different recipes to suit your taste and the dish.
Pesto can be basted on grilled shrimp, mixed with whole grain penne pasta, or spread on a toasted baguette for a quick appetizer.
I don't measure ingredients when I make pesto, just throw it in and it will come out just fine.

Basic Pesto:

  • A bunch of basil or cilantro, roughly chopped
  • A handful of nuts (almonds, walnuts, pine)
  • A few glugs of extra virgin olive oil
  • 1-2 cloves of garlic (add more if you love it, like me!)
  • grated cheese (feta, parmesan)
  • salt to taste
Put everything in a food processor and pulse until it forms a choppy texture. Add more olive oil if you want it more runny. If you want a fine pesto, just keep it in longer. I prefer big chunks of basil/cilantro in my pesto. Pour mixture over cooked pasta or a salad for a healthy, fresh dish. (No cooking is required of the pesto.)

It is best served fresh but the pesto will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for several days. If you want to save any for later use, just freeze in an ice cube tray, pop out when frozen and put in a freezer bag.



1 comment:

  1. I love how you indicate the amount of extra virgin olive oil by number of "glugs". Super cute! :)

    ReplyDelete