Give It A Whirl!

My basil jungle

 I grow a lot of basil in the summer. Trader Joe's has big plants for sale for $3 and I can't resist buying a new one every couple of weeks to stick somewhere in my garden. Basil is great in and on so many of the dishes I make in the summer, but nothing beats pesto! Pesto is so fast and easy, you can pretty much make it while waiting for the water to boil for the pasta. It's a favorite in our house during the summer. The French or Provencal version of pesto is called "Pistou". Pistou is usually added into soups  just before serving,  for a little blast of flavor. Pistou is a little different, in that it doesn't usually have pine nuts or cheese. I'll be making a Provencal winter soup with pistou in it, as soon as the weather turns. To save your summer basil, make pesto or pistou and freeze in ice cube trays and then in baggies to use later in the season.

Simple ingredients

Ok, so this is another one of those recipes that I never measure. If you and I were cooking together, (I'll make the salad, you make the pesto. There's a loaf of homemade rosemary-kalamata olive bread baking. Can you smell it?) we'd be drinking some wine, chatting about our day and we'd be exchanging tastes of food. You'd hand me a spoon,  "More garlic?" you'd ask me. Yep, that's how it would be, and together we'd decide, more cheese, more garlic, more salt, more wine? (In the glasses, not the pesto) But I can't be there. Well, I could be, but the plane ticket would be awfully expensive. Especially if I visit those of you in the UK. So trust your palate and give it a whirl!

Pesto
2 big handfuls of basil leaves (I used about 4 oz)
a couple of cloves of garlic (I started with 2)
olive oil (about 1/3 cup to start)
Fresh parmigano reggiano cheese, about 1/4 cup (no green box!)
toasted pine nuts, about 3 tablespoons
Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper


Put basil in a food processor and with the motor running, add olive oil and garlic cloves starting with 1/3 cup of olive oil. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add more garlic if you like. Add cheese and pine nuts. I don't like the pine nuts completely pureed, so I add them at the end and just give it quick whirl. Season with salt and pepper , adding more  cheese, olive oil or garlic to taste. 
Serve on top of angel hair pasta. (Al dente pasta. Don't over-cook!)