Homemade Pesto
Friends, it would appear that summer is nearing an end. This makes me sad. It means less golf, more work, and probably a few colds heading my way. We could sit here all day and discuss the sad parts of summer ending, but let’s try something different. Let’s focus on the positive! We live in Montana, and in Montana, the end of the summer brings about some of the tastiest foods at our local farmers market. Fresh corn, squash, and zucchini are always on the menu. Also, a lot of farmers are clearing out their basil for very reasonable prices. This gives us a great opportunity to make some great pesto! Pesto is awesome all year round. Also, it is super easy to make, and freezes super well. This is a regular batch, but I would really consider doubling it so you can have great pesto until the basil season has returned.
Our pesto recipe is a little non-traditional in that it doesn’t use pine nuts. I like pine nuts, but I think they can be a little neutral in flavor, and very high in price. You could always use them, but I actually like our pesto better. So, let’s dive in!
The Ingredients:
1 cup packed Basil leaves
½ cup pistachios
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic
Pinch of salt
Pinch of black pepper
¾ cup grated Parmesan and Romano cheese blend
The Process:
1.) Add the basil, pistachios, garlic, salt, and pepper to a food processer or blender. Puree them until they are very finely chopped.
2.) Add the olive oil and continue to puree.
3.) Add the cheese and puree until smooth.
That’s really all there is to it! Transfer to a jar to store, or you can freeze it. A really good way to freeze a large batch of pesto is to use ice cube trays. Place the pesto in the ice cube trays and freeze. Transfer the pesto out of the trays when frozen and in to a bag. Then when you need pesto, you can remove it a pesto cube at a time! Just count on one pesto cube per person/serving.
We hope you enjoy this pesto. Personally, I like the pistachios in it. If you don’t, you can use the same amount of pine nuts, or even walnuts if you wish. Until next time, stay healthy!
What’s your favorite nut to use in pesto?
