garden pesto

Our garden has finally stopped being such a colossal disappointment. I definitely do not have a green thumb, but I figure it shouldn’t be too hard to grow a few vegetables, right? Well, last year we failed miserably. This year, however, we have four tomato plants going strong, although so far all of their tomatoes are various shades of green. We have some peppers that so far don’t seem to have done much. And, wonder of wonders, we have a few things you can actually eat! A few days ago, I picked the first of our zucchini! I’m planning to saute it with a little olive oil and garlic and have it for a side dish this week.

And our basil plant has been outdoing itself, and has completely repopulated its leaves since a few weeks ago when I stripped it pretty much bare. Of course, that was the perfect invitation for me to strip it bare again.

The last time I stripped it, it was to make pesto for dinner, and it was so delicious that I couldn’t wait to make it again. It’s the easiest pesto ever. In fact, it’s so easy that I let Abby make the whole thing. (And she’s 4.)

To a food processor (or a Ninja, if you’re cool like me) add 1-2 cups basil leaves, a handful of walnuts or pine nuts, 1/2 – 3/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese, and some olive oil. Pulse until everything is combined, and add olive oil until it’s at the right consistency. You can store it in the fridge for a week or two, or in the freezer for a long time. And it’s delicious. Can’t wait for more of those basil leaves to grow back.