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.
