Guest Post by Hannah and Abby from Safely Gathered In
Basil is one of those plants that grows really well in all types of situations. You can even grow it indoors in a small pot.
Once your basil leaves have sprouted, pick
off all the leaves that look decent. (This is a job your little ones can
help with. Especially if it's the end of the season and the plant is
just going to die anyway!)
And then it's time to make some Homemade Pesto!
Homemade Pesto
from Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook
1/4 cup olive oil or cooking oil
1/2 cup walnuts and/or pine nuts
2 cups firmly packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 tsp salt
black pepper
Rinse
your basil and pat dry gently. Don't wash the leaves until you're ready
to make pesto. They mold easily if you don't get all the water off.
Peel a couple of cloves of garlic. You don't need to chop them since it's all going in the food processor.
Stuff your tiny food processor full of basil.
Now
add the nuts. I've used pine nuts, walnuts, and almonds–toasted and
untoasted. You can pretty much use whatever you have available.
Add the oil.
Puree until smooth. Serve with crackers or pasta or just eat with a spoon.
Pick a container to store your pesto in.
Any tupperware or jar will do. To help the top from going brown, layer
a little olive oil over the top of the pesto before putting the lid on.
If
you aren't going to eat the Pesto right away, it will refrigerate for a few
weeks or freeze for at least eight months. I've had some in the freezer for much longer and it tasted just fine.
As with all food, the farther back in the freezer, the longer the food will last. If you'd like, you can freeze the pesto in ice cube trays and then, once frozen, remove these cubes to a freezer bag. Pop one of these pesto cubes into your hot cooked past for an easy, quick dinner!
Hannah and Abby share recipe ideas, food preservation
tutorials, and more information regarding food storage
at SafelyGatheredIn.blogspot.