Presto Pesto!

Basil

  Pesto! Even though I grew up having a big backyard garden full of vegetables, my mother never grew basil. I did not try pesto until a few years ago. Wow. I did not know what I was missing! This recipe is super easy and so full of flavor that it does not last long in this household. We slap it on everything from rice cakes to steak! Feel free to add some parsley or mint to change it up a bit. We have a lot of basil in our garden, but the grocery stores carry fresh basil this time of year or check out the farmer's market stands.

Basil Pesto

• 4 cups fresh basil leaves( parsley and/or mint)
• 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4-1/2 cup pine nuts
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 3/4 cup olive oil

Directions:

In food processor or blender, process the basil, cheese, pine nuts and garlic together.

With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil and process until smooth. Scrape down the bowl and process again.

Pesto