Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Time to Make The Pesto



If you live in a part of the country, like the northeast, whose growing season is pretty much over......


It's time to make the Pesto!



My four little basil plants did pretty well this year but when they started to flower I knew it was time to harvest them. I love fresh basil all summer to add to whatever I am cooking (I am Italian).

I mostly love it made into Pesto served on pasta or as a spread on sandwiches.

I recently clicked on the Floyd Family Homestead blog for an article on the 7 Healthy Benefits of Basil. Very interesting and a lot I didn't know. Did you know that raw basil is great for colds and the flu? I just happen to have a cold so as soon as I read that I went out and picked some leaves to chew.

Wow, is that stuff potent! And bitter! I am getting a little better.....:-)


But back to making the Pesto! You can click here for a recipe for Basil Pesto from Food Network as a guideline. I just kind of wing it though.

Did I mention that I am 100% Italian?!

Pesto consists of fresh basil leaves, olive oil, garlic, pine nuts and romano/parmesan cheese. You can use salt and pepper to taste.



This bunch of basil is only half of what I grew. Each leaf has to be taken off and put in the Ninja. I have my work cut out for me.


I downsized to a small food processor after the bowls and tops of the larger ones kept cracking. I don't need a large processor most days, so I love my Ninja.

This may take awhile!

Fill the bowl of the processor with basil leaves.


For this recipe, a large food processor with a chute would be great!

Add the olive oil, nuts and garlic. I cheat here and add the cheese too! The recipe has it added at the end. Either way works.




Then just process away! For a large processor, you can add everything all at once. I needed to keep adding the ingredients as it processed down.


It is not easy to get a good picture of green food! This is not dog food. No, no, it is really, really good to eat but hard to photograph :-(



It is very easy to cook with too. Just boil some pasta of your choice, warm up the pesto a little and toss with the drained pasta. Add a sprinkle of Romano cheese and delicious!



It freezes well for last minute "what am I going to make for dinner?" days.


Be sure to check out the link above for other healthy ways to use basil.


I will leave you with my most favorite indulgence involving basil. It is this velvety body butter from Crabtree & Evelyn with avocado, basil and olive oil. It is pricey but oh so worth it. The scent is amazing too....you don't walk around smelling like the ingredients!




AnnMarie xoxo

I am sharing with these fun blog parties:


Share Your Cup

Thoughts of Home on Thursday
No Rules Weekend Blog Party
Full Plate Thursday
Home Sweet Home
Happiness is Homemade








33 comments:

  1. I love basil and had a huge crop this summer. So I dried a lot of it and turned that harvest into grab and go gifts. Now I'm seeing a second crop for fall so perhaps pesto would be a good option. Thanks for the tips.

    Carole @ Garden Up Green

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  2. I love fresh pesto but I didn't have much of a garden this year so am relying on my frozen from last year. It is delicious and easy to make. Enjoy yours!!

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  3. Ann Marie, I think my daughter would love this recipe. She likes to cook with fresh herbs. I never have. LOL....I guess I was just never taught...so I basically cook country style. Blessings to you, xoxo, Susie

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  4. I too love fresh pesto and have made it twice this summer. Enjoy and happy fall.

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  5. Ooh, I may need to try this. I have just a tad of basil left. Good idea. Hugs and blessings, Cindy

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  6. I have never taken a bite of fresh basil by itself either, I imagine it must be quite bitter, lol! Your pesto looks delightful, and a wonderful way to make use of the end of the year basil :)

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  7. Basil is one of my favorites. Having grown up in an Italian household myself, the smell brings back so many wonderful memories. I may not be a big cook, but I always have some growing in the garden and sometimes I just pluck a few leaves and smell them for a pick me up.

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  8. I let my basil grow too long and after a short weekend away a couple of weeks ago I came home to find them all dried out. They were so beautiful before we left!

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  9. I love pesto, so thanks so much for your recipe.

    Mary

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  10. Oh, Yum! I can almost taste it! I'll be over for dinner.......:) x Karen

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  11. You are so right. Some colors are just so picky about being photographed. But your pesto looks delish!

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  12. It is time to make the Pesto, this is a great post! Thanks so much for sharing with us today at Full Plate Thursday and have a great weekend!
    Miz Helen

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  13. I love Pesto and I did not know that it was fairly easy to make other than taking each little leaf off the stem! Wow, now that takes time.
    Looks so good and even though it may have been difficult to photograph, you did a fabulous job!
    Thanks so much for sharing it with us:)4
    Jemma

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  14. Ohhh I love Pesto. Such yummy stuff and homemade is always the best

    mollyxxx

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  15. I'm not Italian but I love basil! I use pesto a lot but have never made it. I need to do that someday! Have a great weekend. :)

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  16. I love pesto, but have never made it myself. I planted two basil plants, one died right off the bat; but the other did great! I picked a bunch yesterday and made a caprese appetizer for stitching group. I'll have to try making some pest with the rest. I enjoyed learning a lot about basil from the Floyd Family Homestead as well.
    hugs,
    Jann

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  17. You can't beat home-made. I've recently made some with parsley, it is supposed to cleanse your liver but I found the taste too harsh. I love pasta with pesto, roast peppers and goat cheese.
    Amalia
    xo

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  18. Nice pesto! Love it ♥

    summerdaisycottage.blogspot.com

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  19. De-lish, Ann Marie! While I am not 100% Italian, I am from New Jersey and my Mother is half. Italian is my all time favorite food! I would love to try to make Pesto but I just love it with a tomato and mozzarella caprese salad!

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  20. I've never made pesto but would love to. I love it. I'm going to try your recipe. Thank you my friend.

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  21. Such a worthy endeavor! Thanks for sharing at Home Sweet Home!

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  22. Didn't grow any basil this year! Pooh! (My patio garden was held to a minimum since I thought we were moving!) Anyway, maybe I will try this next year!

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  23. Now this looks good! I love cooking with basil and eat more caprese salad in the summer than I can count ;) Blessings, Cecilia

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  24. Oh, this sounds wonderful, my friend! I have always bought Pesto, but now you have me wanting to make my own :) And you're 100% Italian! That is amazing. My grandmother is Italian so I have a little bit in my blood {{smiles}}

    Hugs to you!

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  25. yum yum pesto.. I love the aroma of fresh basil...

    please visit: http://from-a-girls-mind.blogspot.com

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  26. Mmmmmm, pesto! I've never made it, but I sure do love it. The body butter looks tasty, too!

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  27. I love pesto, but have never tried to make it. Love the smell of basil.

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  28. Hi NaNa found your blog via Brendashandmade and love it. My grandma also called NaNa filled the house with the smell of Basil and of course back then everything was home made. Love pesto and might even try this recipe

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  29. My basil really grew well over the summer. Mine has flowered, so I guess it is time to pick those leaves. I read Brenda's nice post about your blog so I am stopping by for a visit! Thanks for the recipe. Now I have to try it!

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  30. Yummo...pesto!! I should think Italy and pesto is a match made in heaven. Thank you for the link regarding the health benefits of basil. It's amazing isn't it what herbs do for our health. Love this post, AnnMarie.

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  31. How easy your instructions are and it is easy to eat healthy if you just know how. Last year I had huge basil plants and didn't use them so didn't plant any this spring.I will next year or I could grown one inside this winter?
    I can see me making pesto Ms Italian Lady

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  32. How delicious!! We love pesto especially when it's homemade. My basil was doing so well this summer and then suddenly croaked. I'm jealous!

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  33. Hi AnnMarie, WOW this looks so delicious and one of my favorites to cook with and use in recipes. Your basil looks like it is so healthy and lush, When I catch the scent of basil it always reminds me of my grandmother's kitchen and her homemade Italian dishes. Isn't is awesome how a scent can take us back to a wonderful time?
    Love your pics and thanks for sharing. xo

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