Pesto
Pesto is surprisingly easy to make as long as you have a food processor and access to fresh basil. We really like it and it can be used on so many dishes, so we grow our own in the summer in pots on the patio. Unless you stagger your plantings though, it will all be ready to harvest about the same time, which is no problem if you freeze it! We’ll show you how below.
Pesto
A non-dairy version
Equipment
- Food processor
Ingredients
- 2 C Basil (fresh) loosely packed
- ⅓ C Walnuts raw
- 1 clove Garlic
- ¼ C Olive oil extra virgin
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Harvest your basil, stem and wash
- Measure and sort walnuts checking for shells
- Peel garlic clove (use more if you like)
- Process briefly until well blended
- Measure olive oil and add slowly to bowl while processing. ¼ cup is a recommendation – only add as much as you think looks right. You'll want the pesto to be thick, but not too thick.
- When the consistency is right, add your salt.
Notes
We like a coarse salt like kosher salt or Celtic sea salt.
Suggestion: make extra pesto to use with other dishes or to freeze!
Freezing Your Pesto
One of the handiest tricks we’ve found is the use of silicone ice trays to freeze things like lime/lemon juice, pesto and herbs for later use. For pesto, just process your pesto, then divide it up into amounts you find useful, like 2T cubes. Freeze it, then remove from tray and place in labeled and dated freezer bags until you’re ready to use.
