Making Pesto

I forgot to put my garlic bulb in the picture

Pesto is just one more thing I am going to make and freeze for the winter.  It will surely add a fresh summery flavor to any of my winter meals, it will remind me that summer comes again and that some day I will once again be able to smell fresh cut basil.  I will make other batches later but I wanted to experiment with the lemon and lime basil that we planted first.  Lime is my favorite citrus and basil is my favorite herb; I can only imagine how good they will taste together in pesto.
Pesto is one of the easiest things to make and can be used in so many ways that it is nice to have some lying around.
Try making some and using it on sandwiches or pasta; you can add a spoonful to some hummus or cream cheese and serve as a dip.  Mix with a little extra oil and drizzle over salads, rub on chicken or pork and bake (even better if you add a little extra Parmesan to it so the outside gets a little crispy), or add a little to your eggs to get your day started right.  Get creative and use it on everything.

First things first, I had to pick all the leaves from the stalks. 

I chose to use walnuts because they are cheaper than pine nuts and I really like the flavor it adds to basil pesto; you can also try using pistachios for an even more buttery flavor.

Then add the oil and garlic and give it a quick pulse

When I make pesto, I rarely use a recipe, it is more of a texture thing...keep adding nuts and basil to make it thicker and more oil to make it thinner.  I am planning on freezing this entire batch so I will make it a little thicker and will add oil when I use it this winter.  I have read that if you plan on freezing your pesto that you should first blanch your basil leaves so the green color stays nice and bright but I have never really had a problem with it turning. Make sure you are using fresh basil and it will be fine.

Add the basil

Add the cheese

And VOILA...basil pesto

Just put it in an airtight container and enjoy fresh basil all winter long!  You can add a lot of different things to this basic recipe like parsley or sun-dried tomatoes...like I said, get creative the possibilities are endless.