Pesto!!!!

[tot_Ou_tard]

The Basil in my garden is still doing incredibly well, so I decided to make the last batch of pesto before the cold weather.

I just finished making 1-1 1/2 gallons (about 4 liters for those not in the US) of the green elixer. I took maybe 20 minutes to do.

Yummmm! Man I love that stuff!

[warren0728]

pesto.......yummy

now with some fresh baked bread ans a little olive oil....heaven

ww

[tot_Ou_tard]

With a gallon O' the stuff, I slather it on everything!

....waiting for the jokes & snide comments...

[Hogfullofblues]

Well, that should lead to some tasty licks.....

Sorry, couldn't help it.

[Cranium]

Whats pesto?

[SuperSwede]

Mmmmm... pesto with pasta (not the other way around )

Pesto is a mix of olive oil, basil, pine nuts, black pepper, garlic & parmesan cheese (there is quite a few variants as well).

[Cranium]

Yuck, you actualy eat that? SS how could you, you live in Sweden, eat some meat or something .

[warren0728]

meat with some pesto is good!

ww

[Mark]

Man O Man Pesto!!!......Dats a Sooo Nice ahh!! Cranium thats good stuff try it once you will dig it. Plus it has vitamins that help guitar players play good and tasty licks! Well at least I think it does...

[tot_Ou_tard]

SluuuuUUuuurrrp, CHOMP, lick, chew,

mmmmmmmmmMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

I'm eat'n some right now!

Heavenly!

Cranium, go & get you some...you jes' might like it & might eat it in a box and you might eat it with a fox & on a train & with your brain...

...I'm insane...

[Spudman***]

Lets see...a Pesto I.V. drip in one arm, a cold Black Butte Porter in the other, a Strat and a wide open Marshall next to my easy chair...that's how I want to go. From heaven straight to Heaven.

[jpfeifer]

I love Pesto. I don't grow my own Basil yet, but I would like to. My whole family loves Pesto. (I can't believe how much they charge for it at the store.) I usually buy fresh basil at the store to make it. I'd love to see your recipe for it to compare it with the one that I use.

I like to cook, especially anything grilled. In the area where I live you can pretty much grill year round so I do a lot of cooking outdoors. I found a great recipe for grilled bell peppers that uses a cheese + Pesto filling. It always turns out fantastic makes a great side dish with grilled beef. The pesto+cheese filling is added to the grilled bell peppers about halft-way through the grilling process. By the time the peppers are fully done you end up with a melted pesto filling that tasts really smoky. It also uses yellow raisins and pine nuts. The cheese is a mixture of Feta and colby so that it melts well but has a kind of tart tast to it. Whenever we have a big bar-b-que I make a batch of these on the grill there's usually none left by the end of the night. The left-over ones make great sandwiches too if we have any.

-- Jim

[SuperSwede]

Another very tasty thing to eat is Aioli (Garlic Mayonnaise)! Its wonderful with hot sausages

[tot_Ou_tard]

I love Pesto. I don't grow my own Basil yet, but I would like to. My whole family loves Pesto. (I can't believe how much they charge for it at the store.) I usually buy fresh basil at the store to make it. I'd love to see your recipe for it to compare it with the one that I use.

-- Jim

Jim,

Growing basil is easy. Just make sure to pick leaves every day in the beginning even if you don't use them, this helps the basil plant grow into a huge bush.
Also nip those buds! The plant will keep trying to flower, don't let it. If it goes to seed then it will die. If you pull off the buds before they flower it will keep producing delicious leaves.

Recipe? I don' need no stinkin' recipe.

I rarely cook with recipes, but here is what I do.

I use a cuisinart.

First I pan toast 1/2 - 1 lb of pinenuts. Use a pan with a heavy bottom. I put the pan on high just until they start to toast and then immediately turn it down to low & keep those suckers moving. You are looking for an even rich brown. Do not let them burn.

While the nuts are cooling. I use the grater attachment on the cuisinart to grate a whole bunch'a parmesian cheese. If I was doing it correctly, I'd use parmesian-reggiano, but I just buy a big wedge at a Club Warehouse store. Very cheap & it works.

Next I change the blade on the 'nart to the normal cutting blade.
I throw in a small handfull of garlic cloves a little extra virgin olive oil & some salt (I use Kosher salt because it has a clean taste) & give it a whirl.

Now it's time to harvest the basil. I use a salad spinner, it usually takes three baskets full of leaves. Pick the leaves that are the darkest green and that are the glossiest--they will have the most basil oil. Don't bruise them or they will turn an ugly blackish-purple. Next rinse these beauts & give them a ride in the salad spinner.

Place the leaves in the cuisinart and turn it on. Add oil while it's spinning. How much oil? That depends on taste. I like my pesto thick, more like a paste than gloop, so I go easy on the oil. But as we are in pestoland, easy means that when I am finished I usually have used 1 liter. I tend to underuse oil when I make it & make up for it during storage (see below).

Now repeat the two steps above two more times. I usually add most of the oil in the first two batches because it proctects the leaves in the cuisinart from the air while I'm picking more leaves.

After the last batch of leaves is processed taste the salt content. You want it a little salty, but not too saltly as the cheese will bring salt to the party. Err on the side of too little, you can always add more at the end.

Now add the toasted pinenuts & pulse the cuisnart until the nuts are the consistency that you like. I like to see the golden bits in the pesto & to have them crunch a bit when eating the pesto. That is why I use a whole pound of them, I love the taste.

Transfer the elixer to a large bowl. I use glass because I'm afraid that aluminum might cause the leaves to change color, but I've never tried it so I don't know.

Fold in as much grated parmesian as you desire, added oil if needed.

I've never tried black pepper in it. I think I will next time. I'd use whole black peppercorns & spin them in the cuisinart before adding the garlic.

Presto pesto!

To store I smooth the top and cover with a layer of olive oil. This layer protects the pesto from the air. This extra oil layer is why I make the pesto itself quite thick. To serve dig a spoon into it! When done smooth the top & add more extra virgin olive oil if needed. I cover the bowl with plastic wrap & transfer it to a smaller bowls with lids as needed.

[tot_Ou_tard]

Another very tasty thing to eat is Aioli (Garlic Mayonnaise)! Its wonderful with hot sausages

From time to time I make Aioli by hand. I use a whisk. It's very simple.

[SuperSwede]

From time to time I make Aioli by hand. I use a whisk. It's very simple.

Yeah, it should be homemade. The Aioli you can buy in stores usually has too little garlic taste.

[Tone2TheBone]

Mmmmmmmmm Extra Virgin Olive Oil Pesto. Pass the fresh bread. +1

[tot_Ou_tard]

If anyone makes this, make sure to have an extra liter of extra virgin olive oil on hand. Add a little bit after each time you use it to keep it covered in oil.

[kerc]

On a related note, I'm becoming addicted to Parmiggiano Reggiano. Expensive vice!