This pesto looks good, doesn't it? It's very lush and green. In the bowl here are basil leaves, basil flowers, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, pepper and salt. I added the cheese to our noodles at dinner, thinking there might be some of this left to freeze afterwards (wrong).
Listen, though... when you grow your own basil, you can use the basil flowers in your pesto. They have heightened aroma and flavor, and -- as long as you use them fresh-picked -- they create super-charged pesto. If you refrigerate them or let them linger on your counter, they turn bitter, and that is why you don't see basil flowers in the grocery store.
Did you know this? Now there is no need to cry when your basil flowers! Pluck the beauties and some lower leaves and use all of their potent energy. If they're calling out to bees, those bits of basil will make otherworldy pesto.
Tonight's pesto was very good, but I made better pesto for myself on Thursday morning when I was exhausted/sad/overwhelmed and decided to spend the morning in bed. After I got D and E off to school (both of them on Thursday!), I forced myself out into the garden to harvest some basil. (You know how it's hard to fix yourself something wonderful when you're feeling depressed? It was one of those days.)
I used ground almonds instead of cheese, lots of basil, lots of garlic, lots of lemon juice and then cayenne instead of black pepper. D and E would have hated this, but I loved every bit of it. If you need comfort and medicine some day, make your pesto this way, and you will feel glad.
Recent Comments