Pesto

Sometimes I am amazed by the thoughtfulness that surrounds me. My dad has been working on his backyard and one of his projects was getting an herb garden started. He sent me pictures and I told him I loved his garden and wanted one of my own. So my dad sent me the beginnings of an herb garden. This took planning on his part because he lives in Texas and he had to coordinate with my sister. When my sister showed up on my doorstop with the itty bitty herbs I was floored. I was so happy and excited. I am now the proud owner of sweet basil, Thai basil, and Greek oregano. The first recipe I tried was this Basil Pesto and I used a combination of both types of basil. It was finger-licking good and so easy to make. I will never buy pesto from the store again. I also can't wait to buy more herbs and plants.

Basil Pesto
Source: Simply Recipes
Yields: 1 cup

2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts (I only had pecans so that's what I used)
3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.

Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.