Pesto!

My garden basil plants

Two blog posts in the same week! Aren't you all impressed? When you read this post and realize how amazing this pesto is you will understand why I couldn't want another day to share it with you. 

You know I often have challenges making new things and pesto was no different. Back when we were first married I tried it and it was awful. It tasted like grass, no joke. A few years passed and I met my dear friend Bethany who made amazing pesto. I grew a ton of basil and attempted her recipe. Oh my. There was no going back. What is the difference? The difference is pine nuts vs. walnuts. Yup. No kidding. Most pesto recipes use pine nuts, but because Bethany is the queen of cheap she substituted walnuts because they are wayyy cheaper than pine nuts. Walnuts are much richer and have more {good} fat so it makes a smoother pesto than wimpy pine nuts. 

There are two wonderful things about pesto. One: it is super heart healthy. You wonder how something so delicious could be good for you, but it is! It is packed with raw basil, olive oil, garlic and walnuts. Hello happy belly and happy heart! Two: it is so versatile. I could eat it by the spoonful, but we also eat it on crackers with cheese, in grilled cheese sandwiches, on pasta, on hamburgers, as a dip, etc. We have to be a little more careful because Liam is allergic to walnuts, but eats almost everything we do. Just consider that before you give it to someone as a gift.  

Now that you're salivating, I'll give you the recipe and then step by step {with pictures!}. 

Bethany's Pesto

1 1/2 c. shelled walnuts

3 c. fresh basil

4 garlic cloves

1 c. olive oil

1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 to 3/4 tsp. salt (depending on your taste preference) 

Dash of pepper

Start with your walnuts in your blender, food processor or whatever you use. I prefer my smaller immersion blender because it's easier clean up (and my real blender is broken...) Grind the nuts until they are fine. 

Next, add your garlic cloves and cheese. Process until blended and garlic is chopped up. 

Add half of the basil and pour a 1/2 cup of olive oil over it. Blend all this together. Don't worry if it doesn't all blend smoothly. You'll get there when you add the rest of the olive oil. Once that is well blended as it can be, add the rest of the basil and olive oil. Blend until it looks like this: 

Add the salt and pepper and give it one more blend. Grab a chip or cracker and try it. You may find you like yours a little more or less salty or cheesy. Add to taste. It will taste very salty at first, but it will mellow after a few days and when you add it to food it loses some of its saltiness. 

Pour it into little jars (or big jars depending how much you make) and put it in the freezer or fridge. If kept in the fridge for awhile it may need to be stirred as the oils tend to separate. Most likely you won't keep it around that long! 

And, if you have lots of freezer space, this would make the most darling Christmas gift. Tie it with a red bow and you have given someone the gift of summer for Christmas. {Sigh.} Someday I will have a big freezer! 

I hope you are with me in holding on to a little bit more of summer with this delicious recipe. Enjoy!