Pesto

   Making pesto more intuitive and flexible than preparing most other recipes. You don’t really need a recipe if you make it often. It is kind of like biscuit baking in the south. It is made with a few key ingredients which can be adjusted or varied. Yet I have had pesto I was not all that fond of and pesto that I loved. The pesto I made last night was the latter; it possessed a flavorful, fresh taste  with a kick of garlic that was delicious alone and was wonderful in a few recipes I made using it. So I want to remember just what I did this time.

  

I am not a pesto expert. I really began to enjoy pesto when I visited Italy and tasted fresh pesto slathered on bread with a sweet ripe tomato sliced on top. Even with that sublime experience, I still have not made pesto all that often. I usually  only make it a couple times a year or so, when my summer basil is winding down and sprouting more buds than leaves. I am not sure why I don't buy basil from a green house in the winter and brighten a dreary winter day with the fresh luxurious taste of pesto! Perhaps this will be my year of pesto!

 

 

Pesto is basically basil, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese with a pinch of salt blended together in a food processor or blender.  Basil is most often used but parsley, mint, other greens can all be included. I might try a mix soon since all of my herbs need to get used up before autumn is upon us, which despite the 90 F temps here will be sooner than I imagine!  You can also try different nuts.  You could skip the cheese for a dairy free/ vegan version, but I would add a little more salt and maybe some red or black pepper for interest. You could use less oil and substitute just a little water. As I said, pesto is flexible and adaptable!! I will give you some idea of the mix I put together last night but it is really just a springboard for you to try out your own version! Let me know if you find any interesting additions!!

   While pesto is probably best freshly made, this batch stayed fresh several days and it should last around a week in the refrigerator well sealed, with a thin veneer of olive oil over it and a piece of plastic wrap over the olive oil then another airtight seal over that. I sometimes freeze pesto in an ice cube try then tightly seal the pesto cubes up and keep frozen until needed over a few months.

A word on some of the ingredients

    I am still figuring out how to find good olive oil after reading up on the lack of purity of much of the olive oil on our store shelves. It has really made me distrust the labeling on olive oil. I now try to buy certified California extra virgin olive oil but I am still trying to figure out who to trust and which oils to buy, especially the ones that are imported. This I do know-olive oil should not taste rancid or have that bad after-taste. Real olive oil is not bought in large bargain batches, it will go bad! Look for quality and fresh taste sold in a darkened bottle preferably with some kind of certification of authenticity. Buy only what you can use up in a couple months after opening. Also, look for olive oil with a sell by date closer to two years or a recent harvest date as it is better when fresh.

   When looking for cheese for pesto, I do not buy the bargain parmesan plastic...err, I mean cheese. Parmigiano reggiano cheese is authentic, from a particular region of Italy. It does cost a little more but the taste is more than worth it!! Get good cheese to use in your pesto! It should not be waxy or tasteless.

   Pine nuts are expensive but you don’t use a large amount. I think they taste wonderful in pesto! But try other nuts if the cost of pine nuts is prohibitive.

   I used a generous portion of garlic in this pesto and it was a pronounced flavor in it but it was sooo good. I think less garlic is perhaps more authentic but don’t be afraid to make this the way you would like.

Pesto

4 ½ -6 cups basil leaves, loosely packed
1/3 cup pine nuts, ( for a combination of nuts such as walnuts or almonds along with pine nuts, use up to ½ cup )
1/3-1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, (or other hard cheese like pecorino)
1-3 garlic cloves, crushed (I used 3 but it makes for a pronounced garlic kick, which I love!)
¼-1/2  teaspoon salt

Splash of lime or lemon juice, highly optional
1/4-1/2 cup extra-virgin high quality olive oil (it should not have a heavily bitter or rancid taste, but be light, fruity or peppery and fresh)

 Using a food processor or blender, begin with about half the basil leaves, pine nuts, cheese, garlic, and salt and pulse so that everything is finely chopped. Add in the rest of the basil leaves and process until everything is finely chopped, scrapping down the sides as needed. Now, open the top to pour the olive oil in as it is processing, being careful that it does not splash out of the top. Process or blend just a few seconds more until pesto is uniform and emulsified.

      So once you have pesto, how do you use it? I love it on bread or pasta. Baguette slices could be toasted with a thin brush of olive oil and then a dollop of pesto with a dusting of Parmigiano broiled for just a moment, perhaps adorned with a slice of tomato.

Pesto is wonderful on chicken or fish that is grilled, roasted, broiled or baked. It is great on veggies or pizza and in a white bean dip. You could make pesto pinwheels or pesto cheese straws for an appetizer.