Pesto Presto!

I'm starting to close down my garden.  There are just a few yellow brandywine tomatoes left, some carrots and some beets.  The bugs and blight seemed to get the best of me this year but baby do I have plans for next spring!  I am going to do some research on companion planting this winter and make the most out of the space I have.  I may even put in another raised bed for cutting flowers or simply to give my veggies more space.  But you saw PESTO in the title here.  You probably aren't fascinated by my garden musings.  Let's get on to that pesto - presto! 

Sorry I couldn't help myself.

I've made two pestos, green and purple, and I have to say I prefer the sweet green basil pesto.  The pesto I made from the purple basil was good, it was nutty and garlicy, but I just didn't love the taste of the purple basil.  I much prefer to toss it into a salad or put the leaves in a sandwich.  The green pesto though - HOLY WOW!  It was so delicious.  I'll willingly admit to dunking crackers in it while I was packing it into containers.  And then I toasted some bread, spread the pesto on it and then put a few spoonfuls of ricotta cheese on top.  SO DELICIOUS!

If it is so delicious, you're probably thinking, why haven't I just started typing up that recipe for you?

Got it!

Will do!

Right this very second!

I based the amounts loosely on Jeanine's recipe from her blog Love and Lemons - if you haven't read through her delicious recipes you really should.

4 big handfuls of basil - make sure to give it a rinse and pat it dry!
Juice of one lemon
2 or 3 big cloves of garlic (I used Russian Purple that my Mum had given me - it is crazy garlicy strong!)
1/2 cup toasted UNSALTED sunflower seeds (you can get them at Trader Joe's)
1/2 cup of olive oil - you can add in more if you want it to be a looser sauce
sea salt to taste

Put everything, except for the olive oil, into your food processor.  Blitz until you get a consistency just a little thicker or chunkier than you want the end result to be.  Take off the lid and scrape down the sides.  Lock that lid back into place and turn it on, stream the olive oil in through the tube.  Give it a taste and add some salt if you want to.  Annnnnnd you're Done!

Done!

Do you believe it?

In that short amount of time you have the most amazing, fresh, green, basily, garlicy deliciousness that you could ever imagine.  And BONUS it is nut free so your friend, Lauren, who has never had pesto before can enjoy it!

I don't have a picture for you because...  well... I ate it.  The pesto.  Not the picture.  Obviously.  But it was green.  And it was good.  And it looked just the way pesto should!  Oh no I've started rhyming.  Time to wrap this up before it all goes down the tubes!

Just a few notes.

This makes about 3/4 of a cup.  If you aren't going to eat it all in two days be sure to freeze it.  That way it will stay fresh and green.  I like to put a good tablespoon of olive oil on top when I put it in the fridge.  I like to think it keeps the pesto from turning brown as quickly.  I'm not sure if it really does but I do it anyway.

Share it with your co-workers.  You don't want to be the only one with vampire killing garlic breath!

Enjoy!