Easy Peasy Pesto

Basil...mmmm...don't you think it smells like Summer?  We purchased two Basil plants at Trader Joe's a few weeks ago, and they're growing like weeds!  In the span of two-three weeks they went from puny-little Basil plants to ready-to-harvest Basil plants.  It's really quite amazing how the stinkin' things grow.  You want to make sure you harvest your basil before it flowers, which for us was right about now.  

We took some kitchen shears to our plants, brought them inside and decided to make pesto.  Easy Peasy Pesto to be exact.  Here's how I make it:

 On the Left is my giant basil plant before being sheared...well kind of.  I forgot about taking a picture until Steve had already sheared one, and halfway sheared the other.  I started yelling "No! Stop!  Please Stop!" whilst running to get my camera.  So this is half of one pesto plant un-sheared.  The picture on the Right is on of my poor little plant all short and nakie.  Don't worry though, this little guy has already grown several inches in the three days since I snapped this picture.  Just imagine all the basil I'm going to have this summer!!!  And all for about six dollars.  Unlimited Basil for six dollars...it sounds too god to be true...but ti's not!

Pinch off all the Basil leaves and wash them.  Shake them off a bit, jam as many leaves as possible into your handy dandy little chopper slash food processor and pulse away.  Add some Olive Oil, Garlic, a pinch of Salt, Parmesan cheese, and some TOASTED Pine Nuts.  Ta-Da!  Seriously, that's all the work required.  (So I was going to give you an actual recipe, for those of you who love following step by step instructions.  But I think I'll save the hard core actual recipe for another day.  Seriously though, it might sound deceptively easy...but there is absolutely no deception on how easy this pesto if to make.  Scouts Honor.)  

 My Giant pile of Pesto.  yes, I plan on cramming all of this into my chopper.

 All My leaves, cleaned and ready to be squashed into my chopper.

I generally mix the Basil, Oil, Garlic, and Salt first.  Once that's the

texture I like then I add in the Parmesan and TOASTED Pine Nuts.  
Seriously folks, you'll make me proud if you toast the nuts, and you'll 
incur serious scorn from Sondra if you don't... Remember This?

Now you're done, your kitchen smells wonderful, and you have

lots of lovely, easy to make, versatile pesto.

This time around I took a page from Mere's book and froze my

pesto in ice  cube trays.  Now i can pull out the perfect amount 

whenever I feel like having pesto.  And trust me, it'll still taste 

amazing and fresh, you just can't lose that lovely basil flavor.

I love making Pesto because it's so fresh and easy, and amazingly versatile.  You can put it on some nice toasted breads, make a big, slather it on chicken before grilling, or ye olde pesto standby: Pasta.  I do love pesto with pasta, and I recently found a recipe that makes me love it even more.  

Simply cook up some linguine.  Mix some of the Pesto with hunks of feta cheese.  Lightly cook a bunch of peas.  And toss it all together.  Steve and I were kind of skeptical of the peas slash pesto slash pasta thing...but we were willing to try it because we A) love pesto and B) will eat just about anything if one of the ingredients is Feta.  I'm super glad we tried this version of Pesto Pasta because I am completely in love with peas in my pesto now.  And this recipe is nice because although it is a pasta and it is about ninety degrees  outside right now the dish is still light-ish.  Especially when paired with a nice white wine, and some patio furniture.