Short, but Sweet... An Ode to Basil

Fresh basil. I love it. It screams out summer. I can get lost in its sweet and spicy aroma. And yesterday I got some, quite a lot actually. Much more than can I snip off my one little plant at home (that sometimes gets neglected and un-watered and, while fresh, isn’t very pretty). Knowing what I know about using up the most delicate items first, I started thinking about how to use like 5 cups of basil. Are you thinking what I’m thinking? Pesto, of course! Since I always have Parmesan in my fridge and pine nuts in my freezer, this didn’t even require a trip to the store, just a quick spin in the food processor.

I chose the simplest of meals and simply tossed it with some hot pasta and served it up with a green salad. Very green. Very yummy. Very easy. My husband and I loved it, my toddler spit it out. His loss, more for us.

Today I’m looking forward to some leftover pesto to smear on a sandwich or toss with some cold pasta (and maybe some leftover peas) for lunch. Storing pesto requires a little bit of thought as the basil will begin to darken, much like an avocado, almost immediately. The recipe I used said to cover it with ¼ inch of olive oil in a sealed container. Not wanting to incorporate or waste the extra oil, I pressed some plastic wrap over the surface before putting on the lid. So far the pesto looks good. Maybe slightly dark at the top, but this will not affect the taste. Anything not being used within 24 hours can be frozen for up to a month.

Classic Pesto
4 cups fresh basil leaves
½ cup good olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts
2 garlic cloves, smashed
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp kosher salt
Combine first 4 ingredients in a food processor. Blend until a paste forms, stopping to push down basil, if needed. Add cheese and salt. Blend until smooth.

On deck for the rest of the week… Napa cabbage, romaine, beets, delicate two-tone squash, fresh garlic, kale, collards and onions. I’m already thinking kale chips (sounds crazy, I know, but people swear they’re delicious) and mango, Napa cabbage and romaine chopped salad. As my son says, “Num, num!”

Happy eating!
Shar