Recipe of the Week: Fresh Pesto

I promised I would stay away from my foil magic for a while, so I will move on to other things, as much as it kills me.  Lol
 
My six year old, Camilla eats crap.  Anthying artificial, fried, laced with fillers, preservatives, dyes, gelatin and formaldehyde is her culinary delight.   She swears she isn’t hungry for dinner, then pilfers, (because she thinks we are THAT dumb), a bag of chips from the pantry.   But, it’s interesting, the one thing she asks me for  every single week is my pesto.   It’s the simplest, go-to, freshest sauce I can whip up, and in the summer with fresh basil…perfecto.
 
You will need:
 

• 2 bunches of fresh basil store-bought, unless you have a plethora of basil growing in your yard.  In chat case, try about 60 basil leaves to start.
•  4 cloves garlic.  Do not chop them, and do not use crushed from a jar…the flavor is just not the same.
•  1 container or 1 cup of parmesan cheese
•  Olive oil
•  Salt/Pepper to taste.  I use kosher salt.
•  1 cup pignoli (pine) nuts OR, yes, even sunflower seeds.

 
I have done this recipe in the blender and food processor.  Lately, I’ve been using the blender, but either can work.
 
Throw everything into the container of the blender or processor.  I put the blender on liquefy, and as it’s chopping, I shake it so the ingredients move towards the blade.  You probably will not have to do this in a food processor.
 
Make sure there is enough olive oil in the container to keep the ingredients moist, and at a pudding type texture. Once the first batch is done, take a plastic spoon and taste it.  From there, adjust your flavoring, and do not go overboard with salt.  The parmesan cheese will take care of that.
 
You can add more of any ingredient to adjust.  The great part, is this can be made in the morning and just stored in a container, even at room temperature.  I usually serve with penne, but Vale likes it with spaghetti.  It’s fantastic for summer easiness, and served with a tomato and mozzarella salad.
 
Hip Mom Hint:  If you are using basil that comes on a stalk, don’t be a kitchen nitpicker.  Just break it all up and throw it all in.   It’s all edible

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