What to do with all the Basil?

[one_half]Basil Pesto[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Sweet Basil[/one_half_last]

It’s really hard to believe that after two weeks of starting my veggie planter I have so much Basil that I need to find a use for it. I think I planted the first Basil plant about a month ago and together with the batch I planted in the new veggie planter I have so much that I decided to make Basil Pesto.

Here’s my Basil Pesto Recipe:

Ingredients for approximately 250mls of Basil Pesto:

• 2 cups of freshly picked basil leaves (I packed the cups so they were stuffed with basil leaves)
• Quarter cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese (try to use a really good quality)
• Quarter cup of pine nuts (you can also use walnuts if you can’t get hold of pine buts)
• 2 garlic cloves freshly minced (you might like to use a bit more garlic than this – its a personal taste preference)
• A tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Quarter cup of extra virgin olive oil
• A pinch of salt – (also optional, and its a personal preference – like to use a dash of Maldon or sea salt, seems to make the pesto pop!)

Method:

• Pick all the Basil leaves off the stalks and rinse them in cold water (throw away any leaves that aren’t perfect)
• Chop the pine nuts in a food processor (or blitzer if you have one)
• Add the basil leaves and garlic and continue to chop / blend them together
• Slowly start to add the olive oil and lemon juice and blend until you have a thick, smooth paste
• Add the Parmesan cheese and blend it in

Notes:

• Some people prefer a slightly less “blended” Pesto with some lumpiness to it … blend the pesto to your preference
• I know someone who adds a teaspoon of sugar to her Basil Pesto – I prefer the pinch of salt – but they are both options
• If you plan to freeze your Pesto you should leave the Parmesan cheese out of it and add it after thawing – I personally don’t freeze Basil Pesto – I like it fresh!

Request:

• If anyone has any great variations on my very basic Basil Pesto Recipe, I’d love to know – please leave a comment below!

Happy Gardening (and cooking!)
xxx