Farm to Table ~ Basil Pesto Recipe

I’m a huge fan of growing your own food, or buying local produce. Food that’s fresh and unprocessed because I believe ideally, this is the type of food that our bodies were designed to consume and use for energy. My vegetable garden is very lush this year due to all the rain we’ve had, but most of the veggies aren’t quite ripe yet. My basil however, is in prime shape so I made a little basil pesto with it.

I LOVE basil pesto and this recipe (a slight variation of a Food Network recipe) is really quick and easy. I didn’t want the basil in my garden to go bad so I made a couple batches to freeze for future use.

When you pick herbs from your garden, it’s best to gather them mid morning after the dew is gone. My cherry tomatoes aren’t quite ripe yet, so I visited our local farm market to get some.

 

Wiltse’s Farm Market is my favorite for buying local produce that I don’t have in my garden.

 

This time of year, they carry quite a variety of fruits and vegetables. Their sweet corn is to-die-for and the selection is always good quality.  I also buy my herbs and bedding plants from Wiltse’s. They’re about 5 miles from my house.

 

This is what my cherry tomatoes looked like last year. I love to eat them fresh off the vine. Sometimes when I get done with my morning run I stop by the garden and eat a few.

 

We always plant a variety of tomatoes. These are the San Marzano tomatoes we planted this year. They’re perfect for canning and making tomato pastes. Love these ‘maters!

 

Hubby planted Pineapple Sage in the garden … we need to harvest it soon. We also planted a variety of peppers, strawberries, oregano, lemon thyme, and butternut squash.

 

We always plant lettuce, which we eat in the early summer. It’s too hot for lettuce now, but I’ll plant some more in the fall when it starts to cool off.

 

Back to the Basil Pesto recipe!  All you do is throw all the ingredients into a blender or food processor, and pulse until it’s smooth and creamy. This stuff is soooo good!

 

I made some bruschetta with it. Lightly toast small Italian bread slices, spread a layer of basil pesto on it, and then add slices of cherry tomatoes. This is the best bruschetta I’ve ever made (hubby agrees)!

 

I put the excess in freezer containers and drizzled a little bit of oil on the top before storing. You can freeze basil pesto for up to 3 months. It’s great on bread or pasta!  The recipe is below – Enjoy!!

Basil Pesto

Ingredients
2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup freshly grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

Combine the basil, garlic, pine nuts, and 1/2 cup of the oil in a blender and pulse until somewhat coarse. Season with salt and pepper.

If using immediately, add the remaining oil and blend at medium speed until smooth. Transfer the pesto to a serving bowl and mix in the cheese.

If freezing, transfer to an air-tight freezer-safe container and drizzle remaining oil over the top. Freeze for up to 3 months. When thawed, stir in your cheese.

 

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How to Can Tomatoes

 

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