If you have basil planted in your garden I bet it is going O-F-F off right now.

This is what mine looked like until I gave it a hair cut to make my Evergreen Pesto.

All the traditional fixings- garlic, good parmesan, toasted pine nuts, good olive oil and lots of fresh basil leaves. Not pictured is my secret ingredient…. fresh SPINACH! I add tons of fresh spinach to my pesto and it keeps the basil from turning brown after it gets beat up in a food processor and exposed to earth, wind and fire. Yes even stays green when tossed with hot pasta.

Emerald green summer special sauce. I wish I had a blouse this color.

PS- it freezes beautifully

Evergreen Pesto

makes about 4 cups

Ingredients:

½ cup toasted pine nuts
2 small cloves garlic
2 ½  cups fresh basil leaves, tightly packed
2 cups fresh spinach leaves, tightly packed
zest and juice of one lemon
1 cup good quality Olive Oil (use a little more if you like a thinner consistency)
1 cup grated Parmesan
about 15 grinds of pepper
¾ tsp salt

Instructions:

Lightly toast the pine nuts in a pan or in a toaster oven until golden brown. In a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, pulse the toasted pine nuts and garlic until coarsely ground. Add the basil leaves, spinach and lemon juice and zest. Pulse until the leaves are broken down. Turn the machine on and add the olive oil in a slow stream until well incorporated. Add the Parmesan and black pepper and taste for seasoning. Add the salt last in case the Parmesan is salty enough on it’s own.

xo,

Lydia