Pesto!

I don't know what it is about pesto that makes me feel like it should always be followed by an exclamation point.  Maybe it's the power of the garlic (!), or the similarity of the condiment to the word presto!, which is also naturally followed by such punctuation.  Basil, garlic, parmesan, pine nuts, olive oil, blend and- presto!, you've got pesto.

With the threat of frost on Friday night (I don't think we actually hit the mark on the coast), we decided to pull the remaining basil plants.  We started with eight in total, but four had succumb to late blight with the tomatoes.  The remaining four didn't appear to be doing very well for most of the year, but had begun to look healthier in the last month or so.  We had two green plants, and two purple, so I made two batches.

 

I use a basic Joy of Cooking recipe, not measuring too precisely.

Pesto!

2 cups loosely packed basil
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 medium cloves garlic
1/2 cup olive oil

Blend the first four ingredients in the food processor.  Add the olive oil in a slow stream until mixed.

 

 

The purple really was a prettier color than I was able to capture above.  You'll just have to take my word for it.  It also had a more mellow flavor, too, in a good way. 

We're getting used to eating purple things around here, after the Purple Cherokee tomatoes, purple carrots, and the lavender-tinted fried rice.  I'm going to have to look into what other purple vegetables we can grow next year. 

The pesto went into the freezer, right next to the shrimp and raviolis, as the three together make one of my favorite go-to dinners when I haven't had a chance to get to the grocery store.  I'm hoping the pesto will get us through the winter. 

What's your favorite way to use pesto?