Fall is in full swing here in the midwest. The air is sometimes more than crisp. The harvesters are toiling through exhausted corn fields. The motif decorating porches and store fronts is all about hay and pumpkins. And our world is colored with the vivid reds, oranges, yellows and golds of the season that make those who don’t enjoy an autumn crowned in glory wish they were here.
My camera is as busy as anyone’s shooting the foliage as I watch the leaves fly. However, part of me misses the greens of summer . . . After all, I’m not certain I look forward to taking inventory of our jackets and boots as we wait for you-know-what.
So, I’m going to take one last glance back at summer this weekend by making something that definitely brings green back into my life . . . PESTO.
This recipe is adapted from one that I found in a beautiful source -”Heart of the Home” by Susan Branch.
Basil Pesto Sauce
2 cups fresh basil leaves, washed and patted dry (discard stems)
5 Tbsp. pine nuts
4 Tbsp. butter
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
1/2 cup olive oil
Saute the pine nuts and the garlic in the butter until the nuts are a light golden-brown. Remove from the heat and cool for a few moments. Place the pine nut mixture, cheese and the olive oil into a food processor and blend until you have a smooth sauce. Serve over your favorite pasta.
For another lovely pesto sauce, visit Organizing Mommy.
“Pounding fragrant things — particularly garlic, basil, parsley — is a tremendous antidote to depression. But it applies also to juniper berries, coriander seeds and the grilled fruits of the chilli pepper. Pounding these things produces an alteration in one’s being — from sighing with fatigue to inhaling with pleasure. The cheering effects of herbs and alliums cannot be too often reiterated. Virgil’s appetite was probably improved equally by pounding garlic as by eating it.” – Patience Gray, cookery author
This may seem like a silly question, but….can you make pesto without the pine nuts? We can’t eat nuts. I love the simplicity of this recipe. Thanks for sharing.
You can make it without any nuts. I would make certain your garlic is roasted. Bon appetit!
That looks really good! I picked my last patch of basil too late and didn’t get the last of the pesto. (bummer) I think I’m the only one in the family who likes pesto right now, so I just make small batches. I’ve made pesto without nuts also.