Sunday, February 17, 2008

Basil Pesto

This photo may not look as appealing as some, but the taste is sublime, and the recipe makes a quick and easy supper.

Basil Pesto

1/2 cup walnuts
3/4 cup dried basil (or fresh, or a combination of both)
2/3 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cloves garlic, put through a press
about a cup Parmesan cheese (or Cheddar)

Put all ingredients in a blender or food processor.

This is so rich that I use only a tablespoon on a serving of pasta. If you don't eat cheese, you may take out your portion before adding the cheese.

8 comments:

  1. I too find pesto sauce very rich and I find that just a little goes very far. Really delicious though! Bravo that you make your own Nan, I must admit that I never have, as yet...
    Last summer I made green tomato jam, that was a first and also wild rose hip jam,a first too!
    Have you made your own pasta?
    Have a lovely day.

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  2. K, I bet it takes me ten minutes to make the pesto. Grating the cheese is the longest part of it. :<) Your adventures are much, much harder and more time consuming. I keep thinking about doing something with rose hips but it seems so complicated. I read about taking out the seeds or some other part and I decided not to. Do you know what I'm talking about because I can't remember for sure?

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  3. Good morning Nan
    Absolutely! You have to take the seeds out, the hips have fin hairs which tickle, it's a tedious job!
    A book I enjoyed and I think you may too is "Feast here Awhile" Adventures in American eating by Jo Brans. Published in 1993.I was lucky to find it in a book sale at Brentanos, the American bookstore in Paris.

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  4. I knew it had something to do with hairs! Thanks for the info. Now I know for sure why I don't do it. But I bet your jam tastes divine. Thanks for the book recommendation. I'll look into it. I don't think there are any more Brentanos over here.

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  5. That looks good. I usually make pesto in September and freeze it in ice cube trays...but I never got around to it this year. I'm already fantasizing about the farmer's market opening.

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  6. I keep meaning to make pesto with walnuts - and forgetting again. I must write myself a note!
    The boys at my school were devils when there were rosehips, I lived in terror of being caught and having the hairs put down my neck, they itched so.

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  7. You know Tara, as strange as it may seem, I actually prefer the pesto with dried basil. I buy this great organic stuff at the health food store, and the taste is so good.
    Geranium Cat, I've never heard of that about rose hips. It sounds just terrible. And I really like walnuts better than pine nuts, the usual nuts used in pesto. This recipe is really so good!

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