Pesto

Whenever possible, I use fresh herbs in my cooking. Most recipes only call for a few tablespoons at a time, so I frequently have leftovers wasting away in my fridge. On such occasions when basil is involved, homemade pesto is an obvious choice.

Summer is now officially over (thank god!), so it’s time to use up any last minute herbs from your garden before Mother Nature sweeps in and destroys them all.

I say this as if I have an herb garden.

I do not.

But there is a garden at work! During spring and summer they grow lots of veggies and fresh herbs. Last week while I was working in the kitchen I needed some basil for a bruschetta dish I was making. We didn’t have any in the walk in, so the chef handed me a pair of scissors and told me to go cut some leaves from the garden. Pretty wonderful, actually.

To make your own pesto, here’s what you’ll need:

The ratios here are completely flexible. If you’re really into raw garlic (hi, John) then add an extra clove. Want a saltier pesto? Add more cheese (never a bad option). Not crazy about pine nuts? Use a different kind. You can adjust the ingredients to find the perfect pesto for you.

Directions
If you purchase loose basil (as opposed to those found in small packaged containers), you’ll need to wash it. Remove the leaves from the stems, rinse under cool water, then pat dry with a paper towel.

Place the cleaned basil and freshly grated Parmesan into a food processor.

Next, add the garlic and some pine nuts. You can toast these quickly if you’d like (I didn’t).

Actually, I would recommend toasting them. They have a nuttier flavor when they’re toasted, and that will make for a more robust pesto sauce.

Pulse this a few times, until the mixture becomes small and coarse.

Season with salt and pepper – about ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper.

With the top of the food processor attached and the machine turned on, slowly drizzle in the oil.

When making something like pesto where there are very few ingredients involved and you’re eating it as is, you want to use a good olive oil. Extra virgin, of course.

(I’m dying to host a “blind tasting” dinner party in the not-too-distant future. One of the items I’d have people taste and rate would be olive oil. There are so many varieties out there.)

Your pesto should look like this:

And there you have it: pesto!

Okay, not so fast. Taste it. Pesto can easily be overwhelmed by any one of its’ ingredients. Too basil-y, too much olive oil… not enough salt (as is often the case). Give it a try and see if you like it. If not, add more of whatever it’s lacking.

I’ll be the first to admit that pesto is not exactly attractive. But neither are sautéed mushrooms, and people still love those.

Make some pesto tonight and stay tuned for a perfect way to use it tomorrow.