August 3 – Pesto!

Pesto always reminds me of summer, because as a child my mother would always make some with the fresh basil from her garden… I didn’t realize at the time, but her pesto recipe is rather unique – a thicker, spicier blend than I have found anywhere else. Since I am almost never home to enjoy her pesto in the summer (sigh…) I have been trying to re-create my childhood memories on my own. Now, I could just ask her for her secret, but where is the fun in that? It’s much better to keep trying out new things – you get to eat more pesto that way!

My current prep is getting closer to my memories of the pesto of yore – though it still needs some tweaking. For those of you used to a thinner, slightly more oily pesto, this might be different than you are used to. But I contend that it will be just as tasty, if not moreso!

So my current batch of pesto was made in the following way:

Fresh Basil – the entire bunch I bought at the farmer’s market. It was a LOT. But I like basil, so, hey…

A drop or two of oil (perhaps 1/8 cup?)

LOTS of pine nuts – again, me likey. I’d guess maybe a 1/3 to 1/2 cup

about 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

a handful of baby spinach (just because)

a large spoonful of nonfat plain yogurt

AND! The most important part! 6 cloves of garlic. Yes, 6. It keeps the vampires away, didn’t you know? Oh, and I like it. A lot. So does the husband. So… BEWARE the two of us after we’ve eaten dinner

I just throw it all into a blender and smash it all up (basil and spinach fed in a handful at the time so as not to clog rotor) … And there you go! PESTO!