Basil Pesto

Ingredients: 

• 1 bunch basil

• 1-2 cloves garlic 

• ½ cup parmesan (optional: add 1-2 tbsp chevre, or skip cheese altogether) 

• ¾ cup olive oil 

• ¼ cup pine nuts (sub cashews, soaked sunflower seeds, or skip altogether)

• Salt & pepper to taste

Method:

• In a food processor, blend garlic and nuts with a little oil. 

• Add basil and drizzle in about ½ cup of oil, and blend for a few seconds until it’s broken down. 

• Add cheese and blend. 

• Taste test, and add salt/pepper and oil accordingly.

• Toss with steamed veggies or pasta and enjoy!

Notes: Basil should NOT be stored in the fridge. Rather, stick the stems in a jar of water and keep in a cool, dry place. Alternatively, keep in a plastic bag in a cool, dry place and wrap the stems in a wet paper towel. Use it according to your senses & intuition, or throw it all together in a pesto. Nothing says summer to me like fresh pesto. The cheese is totally optional. If you skip cheese you may want to add a little extra salt. A spoonful of chevre added makes it good and extra creamy! The nuts are also optional—there was a nut allergy in my family so I never made pesto with nuts and I never missed it. Cashews or sunflower seeds soaked overnight are also great options! Here’s my basic recipe.