Basil Pesto

I love pesto. But, I have to buy $73 worth of basil at the store to make it happen, and then I only get a couple tablespoons to show for it. Sigh.....

When we moved to Michigan, we purchased a home with 0.16 acres of land. Mmhmmm. There certainly wasn't enough room to plant a garden, but there was a south-facing window box on the garage! Just perfect for three basil plants. And grow these basil plants did! I find myself practically FORCED to make pesto every 10-14 days because I need to harvest more basil from the basil farm.






I have become creative with my pesto usage now that we've had pesto all summer: pesto pasta, base sauce on a pizza, stir-in for rice or black beans, spread on a sandwich. The possibilities are endless.

 Fresh Basil Pesto
by Simple Eats

2 c fresh basil, packed
1/3 c pine nuts
1/2 c grated Parmesan
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 c extra virgin olive oil

1. Combine basil and pine nuts in food processor. Pulse several times. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
2. Add in the garlic and parmesan cheese. Pulse another couple times. Again, scrape down the sides of the bowl.
3. While the food processor is running, drizzle the oil into the pesto. Scrape down the sides if the pesto accumulates on the sides of the bowl.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Store in an airtight container and store in the fridge. The pesto will keep for up to a week.