So, this is how I made pesto. Today. And it turned out just fine {insert smirk}.
First, give your basil bush a haircut. Whack it waaaaay back. You'll want about 2 cups worth, packed tight.
Then gather the rest of your pesto making supplies. I used Chaffin Family Orchards olive oil, Honeysuckle Lane (local) raw cheddar, garlic, and soaked walnuts.
A word about the above ingredients:
I love Chaffin Family Orchard's olive oil (no kickbacks for this praise). I buy a gallon once a year. It is great tasting oil.
Cheese - most pesto recipes call for parmesan, Parmesan-Reggiano, Romano, or some combination of the three. I've found that as long as it is a hard-ish cheese and somewhat sharp (tasting), it will work just fine.
Nuts - soaking and dehydrating them is not crucial but helps to increase the digestibility of them. I usually buy nuts in 5 pound increments. Then soak/dehydrate all at once. I found a dehydrator at Goodwill that works great.
The Recipe
I grated about 1/3 cup of cheese into my food processor then added a generous handful (or two?) of walnuts and 4 garlic cloves. Pulsed until the consistency was mealy. Then I dumped 2 cups of packed basil leaves into the processor, then turned it on. While it was running, I drizzled about 1/2 cup of olive oil - until it made the consistency I was looking for.
The below picture isn't a very appetizing one. Let me assure you, though, that it is quite tasty.
-Julie
Thanks, Julie. Our garden wasn't very poductive this year, but our basil flourished. I've been too busy to look for a pesto recipe and now I have one. Will try it.
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