Help! Drowning in basil!

[telophase]

Well, ok, it's not really that bad, but we have a nicely growing basil plant in the Aerogarden* my mom gave us for Christmas that is SUCKING UP ALL THE LIGHT and crowding out the thyme and chives that are also growing there, so I need to make something with ALL THAT BASIL to give the other two a fighting chance.

So. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PESTO RECIPE?



* Don't Google for the price as you will be appalled. Definitely not worth it. But Mom got it free, and for free it's perfectly fine.

Comments

[solarbird]

I hate walnuts and pine nuts - and all true nuts afaik, actually - so I never liked pesto. Then I saw the ingredients one say and thought, "I should love this - is it just the walnuts?" so I invented my own variation and discovered I ♥ pesto! As long as it's made slightly differently. My favourite set of ingredients:

2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese (fresh preferred)
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds (shelled, no husks!) or if you can't get that, sunfower seeds
1/2 cup olive oil

Put the basil, garlic, and seeds into food processor with olive oil. Process until smooth. Add cheese and process a few seconds longer. For a more traditional pesto still without walnuts or pine nuts, use 1 cup parmesan cheese and no mozzarella; the two-cheese thing is something I tried as an experiment and thought turned out super-awesome. If you like walnuts and pine nuts, use the same amount as I'd use in seeds.

[telophase.livejournal.com]

This looks like a great version to cook for a friend of ours, who is allergic to nuts. Thanks!

[solarbird]

Somehow in editing my "shelled, no husks!" ended up in front of pumpkin seeds instead of sunflower. I meant no sunflower husks, of course. I don't think you can de-husk pumpkin and besides you don't need to!

(I went to edit it but you'd already replied. You're quick. ^_^)

[telophase.livejournal.com]

I gathered that was what you meant. :D

(Muahahahaaaa! Comes of being at work with Gmail open in a tab so I see when the notification hits my inbox. XD)