Fresh Basil Pesto

What should you do with a bunch of fresh basil? 

Well, the obvious answer is "make fresh pesto." 

 Although in this day and age we have a tendency to shy away from the obvious answer, sometimes it really is the one that makes the most sense. Not all solutions have to be complicated. 

My dad is growing a beautiful basil plant this summer and I have, no joke, already made fresh pesto three times since I have been in Atlanta. Although my boyfriend and I are growing basil down in Panama, we do not have a food processor and have already broken two blenders. Needless to say, I am taking advantage of the fresh basil and food processor while they are available.

The thing about pesto is that it is really all about the ratio. You can apply the ratio below to all different types of herbs, nuts, and cheese (or dairy-free if that's your style). One of my favorite pesto recipes is actually made with fresh spinach and blanched arugula (from one of my go-to cookbooks: The Ten Things You Need to Eat), but basil is one of the easiest herbs to grow at home and is certainly the most traditional way of making pesto.

Homemade Pesto 

Ingredients

2 cups of packed fresh homegrown basil

1/2 cup pine nuts (or any other kind of nut you have handy - walnuts are really good too)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2-3 cloves of garlic

1/2 cup olive oil

Toast the pine nuts in a small pan on the stove on medium-low heat. This should take about 5 minutes, but keep an eye on them because they burn easily - believe me, I have done this too many times to count and then gotten mad at myself because pine nuts are so freakin' expensive. Let the (unburned)  pine nuts cool while you rinse off the basil.

In a small food processor, combine all the ingredients except the oil. Once the basil is finely chopped and incorporated with the other ingredients, slowly add in the olive oil. 

The pesto can either be eaten right away or stored into the fridge for a few days. My pesto never seems to last that long, but you can freeze the pesto in ice trays to keep for longer. This makes just enough pesto for some appetizers or to serve over pasta, but if you prefer to make a larger batch, just double the ingredients.

If you are eating the pesto, right away, here is an easy snack or appetizer suggestion:

Pesto and Tomato Bruschetta Pitas 

Heat whole wheat pita halves in the toaster oven. You don't want to toast them - just heat them up a bit. Cut the halves into quarters, gently lift up the pita top and spread both pesto and Trader Joe's Tomato Bruschetta inside. I like this brand of bruschetta because there is no added sugar.

After you have stuffed them, cut them in half again to make eighths. Now you have perfect bite-sized pieces.