What am I going to do with all this basil?

Written by Joy Paoletti and Judy Vig
Tuesday, 07 September 2010 23:00

The temperatures are changing. Fall is coming and bringing the cooler weather along for the ride. Our beautiful summer flowers are brown and stalky and look terrible. Every time we walk by them, it’s hard to believe they were once so gorgeous!

But wait ... off in the distance, in the backyard, lots of green; big beautiful bunches of green. The tiny basil plant that I bought at the grocery store and completely forgot about, has exploded into a huge bundle of emerald deliciousness! What am I going to do with all of this? Make pesto ... lots and lots of pesto.

Basil is typically an annual plant grown in our area, and has several varieties; from a lemony tang to the more exotic and spicy ones. When prepared right from the garden, it can be one of the great summer recipes. It is simple to prepare and can be used in many ways, in addition to the traditional paring with pasta. It is wonderful as a spread on sandwiches, paired with toasted bread as an appetizer, or atop sautéed fish and chicken. Either way, it is simple, and the possibilities are endless. So make a great big batch, store it properly and use on those crazy nights when dinner seems impossible.

This recipe can be varied according to taste. Use different greens, cheeses, nuts, toasted or raw, whatever you have on hand. It’s your pesto, make it the way you like it. Enjoy!

Basil pesto with parsley and toasted pignolis

1 large bunch fresh basil (about 4 cups loosely packed)

1 small bunch parsley (about 1/2 cup)

2 garlic cloves to taste

6 to 8 tablespoons of really good olive oil

1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup pine nuts (optional)

Rinse the basil as many times as necessary to remove all sand. Pat dry with paper towel or let it air dry. Do the same with the parsley. Place the basil and parsley in the bowl of a large food processor. Pulse until the leaves have been chopped quite a bit. Add garlic and pulse again.

With the food processor running, add olive oil one tablespoon at a time through the opening. Turn the machine off and scrape down.

Add the parmesan cheese and pine nuts and pulse again until you get the consistency you want. Some people like their pesto coarse, others like it pureed.

Remove to a container and cover lightly with a piece of plastic. As soon as the air hits the pesto, it starts to turn brown.

Freeze tightly covered for several months or refrigerate for up to two weeks.

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