Home-Grown Basil Makes Healthy Pesto

For me the sign that spring has sprung is not evidenced in the crazy pop-up storms, the masses of annuals available at or the lovely whiff of my neighbor’s BBQ on Saturday evenings. It’s the appearance of all the amazing seeds that are suddenly available at my local nursery. I feel like a kid in a candy store, oohing and aahing over all the pretty pictures on the miniature envelopes and marveling over the different varieties of veggies and herbs. I get especially excited about basil seeds. Why basil? Because we LOVE pesto in this house! My daughter is especially pesto-crazy, demanding a huge glob of pesto before she even has her breakfast.  

We love growing our own basil because it allows us to make pesto for pennies on the dollar. It’s another one of these simple items that‘s easy to make and costs much less than the pretty little jars of pesto at the market. Like 75% less. (That’ll buy a lot of new basil seeds!) Basil grows like a weed and it’s pretty, so we often have 2-3 pots on the front porch that do double-duty as "decoration" and kitchen garden.  

Too many store-bought pestos include bits of potato to bulk it up, which is absolutely shameful. Pesto should have 5 ingredients, maybe 6 if you are including salt/pepper– that’s all. This yummy spread/sauce is versatile too.  Slather it on sandwiches (instead of high-fat mayo) drizzle into your morning scramble, or toss with pasta.

Listed below is a tried and true recipe that we’ve been using for years. It’s easy and affordably to make, freezes well and is incredibly yummy.

PESTO

2 cups fresh basil - washed and towel-dried

4-6 whole garlic cloves

1 cup of walnuts (MUCH cheaper than the more often used pine nuts)

1 cup good quality olive oil

1.5 cups good Parmesan cheese (or you can use a mixture of reggiano and parm)

Salt and pepper to taste 

-Layer basil, nuts and garlic in food processor and pulse until finely mixed. 

-Slowly add olive oil while food processor is on. 

-Take off lid, scrape sides and add cheese. 

-Thoroughly mix to desired consistency.