Pesto!

My kitchen smells so good! I'm harvesting the basil and making tubs of pesto this afternoon. This is side yard crop; I have more in the backyard. Pesto freezes really well in ice cube trays. You can melt a few cubes for pasta or just put one cube in a marinara sauce. Tonight I'm going to smear it over chicken breasts and grill them.

Comments

[Madeleine]

I harvested my basil last night, too! I had so much, I processed some with just oil to and froze it in cubes for dishes where I don't want full-on pesto, and I have a bowl full of almost-pesto in the fridge waiting for me to toast the pine nuts for it.

I'm starting to understand why some people like to spin wool for their own knitting. Harvesting my own basil was even more satisfying than making pesto from Farmers' Market basil.

[Tina F]

I can almost smell the basil myself. Enjoy!

[RCinProv]

At first glance, I thought that was something else -- but then you'd be making brownies, not pesto!

[Lilian]

HA, I had never ever thought of freezing pesto in ice-cube trains, genius idea! Thanks!

[Tanya]

Do you freeze it with the cheese mixed in or do you mix it in after you thaw?
-Tanya, de-lurking for this vital question...

[laura]

I freeze it w/the cheese folded in, though people say that you shouldn't. Some say that you shouldn't even freeze it w/the nuts -- only the basil and oil. I can't be bothered and freeze the finished product. I want to dirty everything once, not twice. You would have to have a really great palate to know the difference.

[Tanya]

Ah- thanks for the tip! -Tanya