Pesto! A simple recipe for the weekend.

I read on a friend’s post that her basil wasn’t quite big enough to make pesto yet. The secret to big basil plants is frequently prune the top leaves, just above the joints where new branches are forming. This opens up those baby leaves to more sunlight, and the plant will bush out before you know it. I used to prune the bottom leaves, which only leads to the plants growing tall and skinny and flowering before a good harvest is ready.

How could fresh basil not make me smile?

The following is my basic pesto recipe. I even made a batch just now so I could use exact measurements. This is RARE for me. I’m a pincher, pourer and tosser.

Ingredients

4 cups of fresh rinsed basil
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 head of garlic, peeled
1/4 tsp salt

Rinse off the basil and pick off any large stalky stems. Some stems won’t be a problem. I use a 3 cup Kitchen Aid food chopper, pack the leaves in, and pulse a few times to make room before adding the olive oil. After that is well processed, I add the pine nuts, parm, garlic and salt. There is no need to pre-chop the garlic as your food processor will handle it just fine. Once everything is well chopped and blended, it’s ready!