simple pesto
The Man Friend and I have lived in our little townhouse for over five years. It's pretty much perfect for us. It's a manageable size, has a little quirkiness to it, and, best of all, there's no yard to maintain. Our postage stamp-sized backyard is dirt and ground cover, so the dogs have a potty place. The front is poured rock with hearty perennials like lantana, oleander, and some vine that will never die. Needless to say, this particular house convinced me that I had a black thumb, because nothing I planted would grow.
About two years ago, a massive ice storm took out several big limbs off of the neighbor's tree. It ended up being a good thing for us, because it allowed more sun into the front yard. There are two circular cut-outs where trees used to be and has only been capable of cultivating weeds since we moved in. However, when it dawned on me that sunshine + water = plant growth, I asked the handy-dandy Man Friend to build some herb planters.
herb planters with catnip, basil, curly parsley, rosemary, oregano, & thyme
We enjoyed a relatively mild spring and the little herb garden flourished (though some of it has struggled a bit in the summer heat). However, with the great weather, the basil has gone bonkers. I dried it, I cooked with it, I used it in water with strawberries for flavor. This stuff is like the hydra of Greek mythology. I was completely running out of things to do with it...and I could hear my grandmother's voice telling me not to waste food (uggggh, the Depression-era guilt lives on!). So, after a little searching, I decided to make pesto.
simple pesto (adapted from gimme some oven*)
prep time: 20 minutes | cook time: none
experience level: easy peasy | specialty: vegetarian
- 4 cups fresh basil, packed with stems removed
- 1/2 cup pine nuts or walnuts (I prefer walnuts for pricing & other reasons)
- 5-6 medium garlic cloves (we're anti-vampire, so we eat a lot of it)
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 2-3 tbsp as needed
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp finely ground black pepper
Brace yourselves. This recipe is difficult. Just kidding.
Throw everything in a food processor (starting with 1/2 cup of olive oil only) and blend into a fine purée. If you're having difficulty obtaining the right texture, just add more olive oil, a bit at a time, until it smooths out.
Refrigerate in airtight containers (mini Mason jars work well) for up to one week. Or you can plop dollops of fresh pesto into an ice cube mold, pop them in the freezer, and save them for later.
Pesto is excellent with gnocchi or rotini, on top of toast, or as a sandwich spread.
*side note: Gimme Some Oven has some great pesto variations, so be sure to check out her site!
A little additional note: right before we left for Seattle, I pruned the fruitful little basil plant. I placed the trimmed ends into a glass of water so they would keep while we were gone. Lo and behold, upon my return, there were little roots sprouting!
I am not known for being a gardener, so I texted my best gal, Sara. She's my gardening Yoda. I sent her the photo below and asked if she had ever propagated basil from cuttings. Her response was, "Sweet Jesus! Plant those babies. Wonderful job!"
I'm taking 100% of the credit for my lucky accident.
I took her advice and planted the little boogers this morning. Their roots are still shallow, so I'll have to see how they hold up. If they make it...does anyone want any basil?!
