Basil

What do you get when you mix basil leaves, Parmesan cheese and nuts?

Yummy Pesto. I love this time of year when my basil plants have an over abundance of leaves so I can make a huge batch of Pesto to get me through the year. Pesto is amazing. It's good as a sandwich spread, on pasta, mixed with chicken you name it I love it. After mixing up a huge batch I put some in the fridge then freeze the rest in ice cube trays for easy storage. Then when I want to cook it only take one or two cubes and you have a fast easy meal.

Delicious Pesto

6 cups loosely packed cups of fresh Basil Leaves

1 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 cups of pine nuts or pecans or walnuts ( you can use any of these nuts. I used pecans this time)

1 1/2 cup of olive oil

6 cloves of garlic

3 tablespoons of lemon juice

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Put all of the ingredients in a food processor or a blender. Blend until smooth.

Hint:

My very favorite thing to make with pesto is pesto pasta salad. You take spiral pasta, thinly sliced red onion, thinly sliced red bell pepper and toss them together. Then mix two cubes of pesto with a small amount of low fat mayo. Mix that together than mix it into the pasta mixture. Oh how I love this stuff.

My second favorite is to cook off some bow tie pasta. Then I saute up some squash and zucchini. Then add cubes of pesto to the pan and cook just until warm. Mix it all in the pasta then eat.