The Flavour of Fresh

What I love best about summer is the absolute proliferation of fresh local ingredients everywhere. Gorgeous tomatoes, cherries, lettuces that taste miles better than what's available over winter. Produce packed with flavour is the reason why, when Cakes and I were redoing the back yard this summer, I only briefly considered, and then discarded, the idea of leaving out the vegetable garden.

Perhaps I was a bit overenthusiastic though. I now have more rainbow chard, lettuce and herbs than I know what to do with and my tomato plants are easily 4 or 5 feet high! I have dill out the wazzoo. I have enough fresh Italian parsley to make Olive Salad into the next century. I also have an obscene quantity of lemon-y basil. My problem is now this: What to do with buckets of basil?

Make pesto. Fresh pesto is one of those things that every cook should make at least once. The bottled stuff that we all keep in our pantries resemblers fresh homemade pesto only in name. Neither the colour nor the taste of bottled pesto can even come close.

• 5 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

Whizz everything bust the cheese in a food processor on high until you get a nice paste. Then add the cheese and continue whizzing for 10 to 20 seconds more.

Serve over fresh noodles. I prefer pappardelle as they are nice and wide and noodle-y.

Comments

[Tanna]

I'll be doing this again for about the third time this summer. I have to give some away this time. It really is amazing.

[Lydia]

I too have obscene quantities of lemon basil, the result of a dozen small plantlets given to me by a neighbor. What are you doing with yours? Lemon basil pesto, lemon basil syrup, and lemon basil pasta with shrimp -- that's as far as I've gotten. I'd love some new ideas!

[lyn]

Lydia

Last summer I made a divine lemon basil and lavender ice cream, but it only uses one or two sprigs. Maybe a lemon basil granita?

[Rachael]

Last night I made pesto with my mortar and pestle and I swear, the difference was AMAZING. It took just as long to make (in other words, no time at all) and was easier to clean than a processor.

I would die of happiness if I had that much basil growing in my yard (it would require me having a yard you see)...I think you should think of non-culinary uses too...bathe in the stuff! LOL.

[Natalia]

I agree, everybody should make their own pesto. It's super easy and delicious! There are tons of different ways to spice it up too. You could make one out of all that parsley you have for something a little different.

[Lydia]

Lyn, granita sounds like a wonderful idea. I've been using a few leaves here and there in salad blends, with a citrus-based vinaigrette. Because the flavor is strong, I'm finding it's not as versatile as the Genovese basil (that's also growing like crazy in my garden -- I have at least 30 plants!). I'm going to try freezing the lemon basil pesto this year to see if it holds as well as the regular pesto.

[jenjen]

Basil definitely spells out FRESH. My neighbour gives me fresh basil from her garden, she has so much that I have had to freeze some of it. BUt a pesto is a great way to use up all the fresh basil she gives me.

[Dindrane]

How much pesto would you spoon into a bowl for a serving of noodles? I'm afraid of overdoing the oil and ending up wasting my lovely green goodness.

[Dindrane]

How much pesto would you spoon into a bowl for a serving of noodles? I'm afraid of overdoing the oil and ending up wasting my lovely green goodness.

[Corey]

I heard your have acquired a taste for Olive Garden...any truth to that?
Will you let me go there on our next trip?
Corey