mmmm...pesto!

Growing up, I would visit my aunt in Iowa City for a week every summer. She's an organic farmer (b/f it was cool)...and as a kid, I thought she ate some pretty crazy stuff. I'd pretend to enjoy the goat cheese and sprouts on my sandwich (I have grown to love goat cheese, btw...not the sprouts, though *blech*). Then one magical meal...she put green pasta on the table with more green sauce to go on it. Whatintheworld was she expecting me to eat?!?!

One pensive bite later...I was hooked! I met a tasty little concoction that nite...pesto. You can make pesto with lots of different ingredients, but this one was with basil...delicious!

Because we didn't eat such wild and crazy things at home...it wasn't until my adult life that this tasty treat made its way back onto my plate.

I don't exactly have a recipe for basil pesto...I just kind of eyeball it (that's pretty much how I cook...improvisation).

So...here are some *vague* directions...

1. In a food processor, combine 2 cups fresh basil, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese (I cut it up first...just so it's easier to blend), 1/4 cup pine nuts (expensive...but delish!), and 2 cloves garlic.

2. Once this is all chopped up and combined, add b/w 1/2 - 1 cup olive oil (depending on how thick or thin you want the pesto) and ground pepper to taste. P.S...I'm sure there are certain fancy olive oils out there that I should be using...but I just use the same old oil that I cook with. I think it tastes just dandy.

3. One more whoosh of the food processor and "ta-da," there ya have it...a most delicious topping for pasta, crostini, tomatoes....just about anything you can imagine!

Anyway...I'm pretty sure almost everyone has tried pesto by now. Even so...I hope this little post will inspire you to make it...and make it soon. :)