Basil Pesto
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At the risk of repeating myself… we have the best friends and neighbors! This beautiful bouquet of basil is from a neighbor's garden. I wish I would have taken a photo of the plant I trimmed this from, it was one of the largest basil plants I’ve ever seen. Feeling so grateful to be surrounded by so many lovely people in our small community.
The day after I made this pesto, I went to Husted’s Farm Market in Kalamazoo with a co-worker at lunch. Husted’s is this amazing farm stand full of fresh, local produce that also has several u-pick options throughout the season such as strawberries, cherries, and apples. This time of year there is an area of u-pick herbs that you trim yourself, then they weigh them for purchase. A great option if you don’t have lovely neighbors willing to share their harvest!
The best way I’ve found to clean large amounts of basil is by using a salad spinner. Remove the stems, soak the leaves for a few minutes in the bowl of the salad spinner, and then spin them. If you’re not using your basil the same day, make sure the basil leaves are very dry before storing them. Pat them down with paper towels and seal them in a zip-top bag with a slightly damp paper towel. As long as the leaves are dry they will stay green for several days.
Fresh basil clippings can also be stored on your kitchen counter just like a bouquet of flowers. Trim the stems, and place in the water, making sure only the stems are submerged. Any leaves in the water will quickly turn dark and slimy. Cover the leaves and the entire jar of basil loosely with a plastic bag, creating a mini greenhouse.
Pesto comes together quickly in a food processor. You can make a batch faster than your pot of water can come to a boil. If you are planning on using pesto for pasta, just remember that pesto should never be cooked. Unlike most pasta dishes where I will advise you to marry the pasta and sauce together in a large pan, pesto just needs to be tossed into your cooked pasta in a bowl. Fresh basil will turn a darker color once heated, it is best to use it at room temperature.
Pesto can be used in many dishes, this particular batch of pesto became a large bowl of pesto spaghetti for dinner.
My absolute favorite thing to do to preserve the flavors of summer is to make an extra batch of pesto to freeze. Once the pesto has frozen, I remove them from the ice cube trays and store them in Ziploc bags. These will stay in your freezer for up to six months. I love to defrost and spread the pesto onto a panini, flatbread, or pizza. Equally as delicious added to minestrone or tomato soup or to finish your favorite pasta sauce. The perfect pop of flavor to add to any dish!
If you make it to Husted’s Farm Market, make sure to get a homemade pie!
Basil Pesto
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade add basil, spinach, walnuts, garlic, salt, and black pepper. Pulse several times.
- With the food processor running, slowly drizzle the olive oil through the feed tube. Continue to run the food processor until the desired consistency.
- Add Parmesan cheese and pulse several more times to incorporate the cheese into the pesto.
- TASTE YOUR PESTO! - Now is the time to add any additional flavor. If you like more heat, add more crushed red pepper, if you like more salt and more salt!
Notes
Traditionally, pesto is made with pine nuts. I prefer the taste of walnuts in my pesto, and always have them in the freezer for baking. You could use the same measurement of pine nuts or substitute your favorite nut.
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Go have some fun in your kitchen!
