3 cups loosely packed basil leaves ¾ cup olive oil
¼ cup toasted pine nuts or walnuts 3 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon salt ½ cup Parmesan cheese
3 Tablespoons Romano cheese
Put the basil, oil, garlic and salt in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Add the nuts and cheeses and mix just to blend. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
If you plan to freeze the pesto, do not add the nuts until you are ready to serve it.
Pesto freezes beautifully and is a special treat added to sauces and soup in the winter. If you freeze it in individual ice cube trays, each cube is about 1 tablespoon of pesto.
This recipe was adapted from Northern Italian Cooking.
July 22 2010 | Recipes | No Comments »
!/2 cup chopped walnuts ¼ cup olive oil
1 garlic clove 1 teaspoon vinegar
2 medium cucumbers, peeled ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Combine the walnuts and the garlic in a food processor fitted with the chopping blade; process to a paste.
Cut the cucumbers into chunks and add to the walnut mixture, pulse until coarsely chopped. Add the oil, vinegar, and salt and pulse until the mixture is somewhat chunky. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
This recipe was adapted from Recipes from America’s Small Farms.
February 22 2010 | Recipes | No Comments »
¼ cup pine nuts
1 bunch arugula
½ cup grated Asiago cheese
½ cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over med-high heat until they start to brown and become fragrant. Transfer the nuts a dish to cool.
Combine the arugula, cheese, oil, garlic and the cool pine nuts in a blender or food processor; process until thoroughly combined and smooth. Season the pesto with salt and pepper. Serve over pasta, roasted potatoes or steamed vegetables.
February 22 2010 | Recipes | No Comments »
Prepare your own pizza dough or use a packaged pizza round
1/3 cup mozzarella cheese, coarsely grated
Olive oil
Brush the pizza round with olive oil and spread the grated cheese evenly over the top, leaving a ¾ inch rim. Brush the rim with olive oil. Bake in a 450 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and brush about half of the prepared pesto on the surface. Serve immediately.
adapted from Fresh from the Farmers’ Market by Janet Flecher
February 04 2010 | Recipes | No Comments »
3 tablespoons Pine Nuts or chopped walnuts
1 cup lightly packed basil leaves
1 large garlic clove, thinly sliced
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoon parmesan cheese
Salt to taste
Toast the pine nuts or walnuts in a 325 degree oven until they are golden brown 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool. In a food processor or blender, combine the nuts, basil and garlic. Pulse, scraping down the sides occasionally, until well chopped. With the motor running, add the olive oil through the feed tube. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the cheese and salt. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface to prevent the pesto from turning dark.
Pesto variations
Flat leaf parsley, rosemary and tarragon leaves may be substituted for the cup of packed basil leaves.
Pesto may be made in larger amounts and frozen. To prevent the basil from darkening some people like to blanch the basil leaves by placing them in a metal strainer and dipping them in boiling water for 2 or 3 seconds. Do not over cook them or they will turn mushy. Freeze the pesto in small containers or in ice cube trays adding a small amount of olive oil to the top. Use the frozen pesto as soon as it is thawed, it does not keep well. Each ice cube is about one tablespoon. The frozen pesto cubes may be added to sauces and soups in the winter for a fresh basil taste of summer.
Some recipes will suggest that you add the toasted nuts to the thawed frozen pesto just before using so they will be crunchy. Some recipes also suggest that you add the parmesan cheese just before using for a fresher taste.
February 04 2010 | Recipes | No Comments »
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