How To Pinch Back Basil And Make Pesto - Mother Earth News

So, after pruning basil to make it bushy, now what are you going to do with all that sweet basil that’ll grow in? I make pesto and more pesto. We eat it fresh, which is delicious, and then I make more pesto to put in the freezer for a winter full of pesto pizza and pesto pasta. I freeze pesto in ice cube trays designated for pesto. Don’t go thinking you can use your ice cube trays designated for only ice to store pesto, unless you like garlicky ice. Pick up a couple extras for freezing food. Otherwise, try paper bathroom cups. I pop the pesto cubes out of the ice cube tray the following day and store the pesto cubes back in the freezer in a zip-close bag. Then I can defrost a few at a time, or slice frozen for quick use.

Quick Pesto Recipe: Sweet Basil Pesto

Here’s my quick pesto recipe, with the help of a food processor (a blender would work, or even a mortar and pestle). I based my recipe off Mollie Katzen’s recipe from The Moosewood Cookbook.

Ingredients:

• 2 to 3 garlic cloves
• 3 tbsp (or way more) of walnuts (pine nuts are nice but expensive)
• 1/4 pound basil tops (3 packed cups)
• 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup shredded Pecorina Romano (parmesan cheese is nice but expensive)

Instructions:

Using the food processor, first chop garlic cloves and walnuts. Then, add in basil tops and salt; chop again. Slowly blend in olive oil (add more than 1/3 cup if you like thinner pesto). Finally, stir in cheese. My favorite taste of summertime is a pesto grilled cheese with a slice of heirloom tomato. It’s the goodness of summer. Enjoy.

Want more basil recipes? Use your harvest to make: Homemade Basil Jelly, Nutty Basil Lemon Ice Cream and Basil-Infused Olive Oil!

Ilene White Freedman operates House in the Woods organic CSA farm with her husband, Phil, in Frederick, Maryland. The Freedmans are one of six 2013 MOTHER EARTH NEWS Homesteaders of the Year. Ilene blogs about making things from scratch, putting up the harvest, and gardening and farm life at the House in the Woods blog, She’s easy to follow from the farm’s Facebook page. For more about House in the Woods, check out its official website.