The other day, I made pesto from the last bits of basil in the garden. I do it a little differently than some others do. This recipe started from Taste of Home’s Basil Salmon Recipe, but I’ve changed it up quite a bit. For one thing, we don’t use pine nuts. We like more parmesan cheese. I’ve even tried cutting down the amount of oil used, but that one did not work. It takes it all.
Here’s what I do:
4-1/2 cups basil leaves
10 Tablespoons olive oil
5 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons lemon juice
6 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Place all ingredients in food processor. Pulse until it is all incorporated together. Taste. Add more salt, pepper, cheese, etc. that you want, to taste. Freeze in an ice cube tray. Once frozen, pop the frozen cubes into a zip-top bag and keep in freezer until ready to use. Makes 1 ice cube tray full.
We use it on fish and chicken, in salad dressings and dips, and pasta the most. Ja’Ana and I love it!
Thank you for posting the recipe. I have a few leaves left on my plant and I will go ahead and harvest them this afternoon. We have had a groundhog move into our garden and he is killing everything! We are going out every two hours during the night trying to catch him (he is so sneaky) plus I think he has brought his friends. They can dig about 25 holes 12 inches round by 12 inches deep in just a little while. They like to choose to dig right under the new seeds or small seedlings then move to another spot, little monsters.
Anyway, yahoo for getting the freezers moved. I complain about having to walk down the steps to my freezer but at least I have never had to get in my car to DRIVE to it.
Again, thanks for the recipe.
I’m glad you can use the recipe. Boy, those groundhogs sound pesky! We don’t have them here, and it sounds like I’m glad about it!
I tried the recipe and it was so good and easy to make. I froze some but I doubt it will last long before it is eaten.
Be glad you don’t have any groundhogs. I am ready for a good night’s sleep.
I doubt mine will last long either, but it was nice to be able to preserve something after the summer in the camper! I am looking forward to using up a lot of things in the freezers though, and starting fresh next year.
Yum! Try it on a turkey sandwich! Soooo good!
Yum!
I agree. Yum!
I cut my olive oil with cheaper vegetable oil, usually canola. I still use the same amount but it is cheaper. And I do not use pine nuts either, I’m in the south, so it is pecans or actually non roasted pumpkins seeds or sunflowers seeds work well also. I love that I can throw a couple of frozen pesto cubes into cheap spaghetti sauce and it instantly elevates it. One of my favorite tricks is to set out a small container of pesto with dollar tree breadsticks, olives, peppers for a antipasti. My family thinks I have gone out of my way..lol
That’s a great idea! I’ll have to try making that for an appetizer.
Oh what good ideas. I have plenty of sunflower seeds I need to use up. I can’t imagine how pecans would taste, time for an experiment.
Let us know how it turns out!