Pesto

We are approaching the height of garden season in Texas.  Everything you planted a couple of months ago should be bearing fruit.  You did plant a garden, didn't you?  Shame on you if you didn't. There is no better reason to plant a garden than tomatoes and basil.  I've been making pesto and doleing it out to selected friends at the risk of denuding my own basil plants..  I'll need to plant more than two pots next year.  Basil is very easy to grow.  You can put it in an old plastic bucket and just water it when it looks like it needs it.  Pick off the tips when it starts to flower.  You want the leaves not flowerrs and a little selective pruning will make it bush out even fuller.  It will continue to grow and bear leaves until the first frost in November.  Once it gets cold the plant is toast and there's no more basil until next spring. The experts say you can freeze pesto but I haven't had any luck doing that.

Here's my recipe for pesto so the neighbors won't have to depend on me.

Pesto

2 cups of basil leaves
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup pine nuts (or any other kind-I use pecans or almonds)
2 cloves garlic
salt
olive oil

I put everything in the blender and slowly add the olive oil until it's the right consistency.  Scrape down the sides of the blender to make sure everything gets blended.

This makes about a cup and you'll want to eat it the same day you make it.  As it sits the pesto will darken and absorb the oil and won't be as pretty as the bright green when it's fresh.