Homemade Pesto

Cooking In Season: Homemade Pesto

Homemade Pesto by Lois Anne

By Lois Anne

The bounty of Summer seems a good place to start for what I’m hoping will be a regular feature for Good Tern’s Terning Point newsletter.

The word pesto is a form of the Genoese verb pestâ (Italian: pestare), meaning “to pound”, “to crush”, for ingredients are “crushed” or ground in a marble mortar through a circular motion of a wooden or stone pestle. The same Latin root is the basis for pestle. There are other foods called pesto, but pesto by itself often refers to pesto alla Genovese, the basil pesto familiar to most of us.

Ingredients

• ~ 2 cups fresh basil leaves, herbs or other greens (no stems)

• ~ 2 tablespoons nuts or seeds of choice (pine nuts, walnuts, pepitas, etc.)

• ~ 2 large cloves garlic or 3 teaspoons minced garlic from the jar

• ~ ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

• ~ ½ cup freshly grated cheese of choice (Italian-style hard cheeses, like parmesan, work best)

  (Measurements may vary based on ingredients)

Preparation

Step 1: Combine your herbs (or other greens), nuts (or substitutes), and garlic in a mortar or food processor and process until very finely minced.

Step 2: While processing, slowly dribble in the oil and continue to process until the mixture is smooth.

Step 3: Add the cheese (or cheese substitute) and process very briefly, just long enough to combine.

Storage: Pesto is best eaten fresh, within a day of preparation. Transfer the fresh pesto to an airtight container and top with a very thin layer of oil to help prevent browning before storing in the refrigerator or freezer. Pesto will keep up to seven days in the refrigerator, or it can be frozen for up to three months. You can also freeze pesto in ice cube trays, then transfer the frozen cubes to an airtight container. For a fresher flavor, make and freeze pesto without the cheese, then add the grated cheese once thawed.

Tips from Lois Anne:

Storage & Preparation: Because our freezer is small, I process basil leaves in the food processor, then freeze in 4-ounce containers to later thaw and add to the other ingredients to make pesto. Today most folks use a food processor or blender instead of a mortar and pestle.

Alternatives to Basil: Instead of basil, try other greens like spinach, kale, chard, celery greens, radish or mustard greens, or arugula. It’s fun to experiment, and no matter which greens you choose, rinse and pat dry before using. I sometimes blend basil and parsley together and have made a yummy pesto with carrot greens. Pesto doesn’t have to be green. A dreamy brown pesto sauce can be made of crushed walnuts, sheep cheese, and olive oil.

Adding Nuts: Pine nuts are pricey, so I swap them for raw cashews, walnuts, pistachios, or almonds. For a nut-free version, try cooked and cooled edamame, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, or sunflower seeds. Most recently I have been making basil pesto with raw cashews (from the bulk aisle of the Good Tern), transferring the pesto to a bowl, then stirring in pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and sunflower seeds for extra nutrition and texture.

Adding Cheese: In place of fresh parmesan (aka parmigiano-reggiano), you can use any Italian-style hard cheese, such as pecorino romano, or asiago. Or you can use vegan cheese like Daiya Mozzarella-style shreds.

Garlic: If you don’t have fresh garlic cloves, use 3 teaspoons minced garlic from the jar.

Other Pesto Variations: Try adding your favorite herbs like cilantro, mint, or parsley. Add lemon. Add your favorite spices like cayenne, ground ginger, paprika, or crushed red pepper flakes. Or add a dash of your favorite hot sauce. Some folks add salt and pepper and/or lemon.

Uses: The uses for pesto are endless – you can use it as pasta sauce, drizzle it over grilled chicken, eggs, baked salmon, or roasted vegetables, spread it on sandwiches, dip corn chips or crudities in it, serve it atop rice, swirl into hummus or soup, add to an omelet or scrambled eggs, blend into mayonnaise for a tartar sauce substitute, etc, etc.

The Bottom Line: Pesto possibilities are infinite and should please your taste buds. The basic recipe is a place to start, then experiment and enjoy!!