Flowering Basil

Fresh Pesto

Something amazing happened at the beginning of the weekend. I got about 2 pounds of basil unexpectedly. The basil was so fragrant. It surprised and inspired me. There are a bunch of recipes coming up soon that highlights the fragrant nature of really fresh and seasonal basil. Until then, enjoy some of the fun that I had making pesto.




While I was looking for ideas for making pesto, I found this blog called On The Flavor Road. I really liked the pesto recipe on that blog. I was inspired by the ingredient list but I could not be bothered to use such a specific recipe for making the pesto. Also, I like my pesto thicker so it was no brainer to mold this to my taste. Anytime I make a sauce like pesto or salad dressing that calls for using olive oil without cooking it, I have an extra special bottle of olive oil that I use. Not all olive oils are created equally.

I made a big batch pesto and I have put it in the freezer to preserve it. I look forward to using it in tons of different recipes.

Flowering Basil

Big Batch Pesto

lLb Basil Leaves
1Cup Parmiggiano Reggiano shaved
2 Garlic Cloves peeled
1Cup Pinenuts
11/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Instructions
1. Put all the basil, garlic, pinenuts and olive oil into a food processor. Blend the ingredients gently. When it looks mostly blended, add in the parmesan and give it a brief whirl.
2. Store in an airtight container in a freezer.