Pesto Time

The basil in my garden beds is really happy this year. The plants have become small shrubs, so it’s time to cut them back.

I filled three paper bags with cuttings for drying. In a couple of weeks, I’ll pluck the leaves from the stems.

I used one large bunch to make pesto.

About two cups of basil leaves, a couple of cloves of minced garlic, a tablespoon of coarse sea salt, a half a cup of olive oil, and about a half cup of fresh Parmesan.

Give it all a couple of whirls in a food processor and that’s it. Although toasted pine nuts are a traditional ingredient, I usually skip those.

I will put some in the freezer. I plan to make a creamy pesto dressing for my salad today. Add a little mayo and apple cider vinegar.

My kitchen smells like summer.

~Debbie