Pesto!

What to do with an abundance of Basil in your summer herb garden (and seriously it’s like Little Shop of Horrors – it’s a huge basil plant!). Well, homemade pesto of course!
There are a ton of pesto recipes out there, so I decided to start with a very simple, basic one by Florence Fabricant with NYTCooking.  I also saved a pretty jar from some olive tapenade which made the perfect vessel for my beautiful pesto (see photo).

Basic Pesto
INGREDIENTS
2 cups fresh basil leaves (no stems)
2 Tablespoons pine nuts (or walnuts)
2 large cloves of garlic
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
PREPARATION
1.  Combine basil leaves, pine nuts, and garlic in a food processor and process until very finely minced.
2.  With the machine still running slowly dribble in the oil and process until the mixture is smooth.
3.  Add the cheese and process very briefly, just long enough to combine.
4.  Serve, or store in the refrigerator or freezer.
5. Or just mix it with some cooked pasta and some of your favorite pasta add-ons.  For me, that's summer peas, sautéed onions, and black olives.​​