Bruschetta

Pecan Pie Squares

Basil Pesto

We love pesto all year and find that if we want to enjoy the freshest tasting pesto in the coldest Minnesota winter months, it is best to make it ourselves.

  Basil plants are one of the easiest plants to grow once they get started (a few inches tall).  Growing plants from seed and also buying small plants helps to have a variety of sizes growing at one time and prevents everything needing to be picked at once.  Try growing plants in flower beds, flower pots, in bunches or rows and in your garden.  Spreading them out to several spots will ensure that no one problem will wipe out all your plants. 



1.  Set up all ingredients and equipment before snipping any leaves.  Chop garlic, set out measuring tools, have your freezing containers clean and ready, get the food processor set up.


2.  Pick basil.

When picking basil from your garden, it's best to pick early or late in the day, not at the hottest part of the day or basil will wilt quickly.  Take out 2 large buckets of cold water and as you are snipping off leaves/branches with a scissors {scissors make for faster picking} immediately stick branches in the first bucket of water until you've picked the amount you want. 

3.  Clean basil.

Gently and briskly dunk branches by plunging them in and out of the water in first-rinse bucket, then place in second clean bucket of cold water.  {It will take much less time rinsing branches than rinsing individual leaves}

 

Dump buckets outside, you will notice a lot of dirt in the first-rinse buckets.

Most debris washes off easily except spiders and webs.  It's important to check every leaf and look on the under side.  It's not uncommon to find insects or blades of grass in the salad spinner after two thorough washes.  Gently rubbing your finger on the leaf will help release the dirt when rinsed.

Again, gently press entire bowl full of branches under water, debris and insects tend to float up.  Pour off unwanted floaters.  Once satisfied with cleaning, dump out water and make pesto.  {DO NOT leave plants in water any longer than needed to clean them.  I set my bucket of water and basil in the refrigerator one time for around an hour and was horrified to find the leaves turning black and wilty.} 

Begin by taking a clean branch

Pinch off the flower if present

Grasp a bunch of leaves at the ends with fingertips where stems begin. 

Pinch to leave stems behind.  Toss leaves in salad spinner.

Finish pinching off random leaves.  Toss in salad spinner.

Waste from one branch: The stem and flower forming from the top.

Some leaves will have damage from insects and soil bacteria.  Allow damaged leaves to remain on branches when snipping off plants for easiest cleaning of good leaves (and keep growing plants healthy), toss damaged leaves attached to the stem as waste.

Leaves as long as my palm!

4.  Thoroughly dry basil.  Salad spinners work great for this.

5.  Pile basil in food processor.  I added one more 2 1/2 quart salad spinner of leaves than shown in the picture below.  It will be very full.

6.  Press basil down right before adding other ingredients, when you're ready to blend.

7.  Add garlic, Parmesan, salt, pepper, pine nuts and olive oil.

8.  Blend until smooth.  It should take less than 10 seconds.  Add more oil if thick and cakey.  The more you blend the more oxidized and brown it may become.   

9.  The 8-10 cups of basil now looks like this:  PESTO!

Package as you wish.  Freeze immediately.

Basil Pesto~makes about 3 1/2 -4 cups pesto
about 8-10 cups basil leaves, rinsed, salad-spin off water (fill food processor so cavity overflows)
{leaves to fill a 2 1/2 qt salad spinner loosely four times gives you about 8-10 cups}
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
9 garlic cloves, minced, about 3 1/2 Tablespoons
1 tsp salt, 1 tsp fresh cracked pepper
2 Tablespoons pine nuts, (toasted is best, untoasted is fine, add more to taste)
1 1/2-1 3/4 cups olive oil (add to desired consistency)

Have freezer containers ready to put pesto in immediately.  Air exposure begins browning basil quickly.  Best if you top with a little olive oil to keep air out.  Do not refrigerate if you don't plan to use that day.  FREEZE right away.  It thaws quickly. 



This was one plant after I snipped off several branches and most bad leaves.  I left less than half the plant's leaves and tried to leave most of the newer leaves in tact.  It's important to keep snipping off mature leaves and branches and watch your plants closely for flower blossoms.  Snipping off blossoms prevents the basil from flowering and ensures your plant will keep producing leaves.  {Branches from four mature plants made this batch of pesto.}  

Mistakes I have made:  Freezing in smaller cubes or discs allows freezer-burn faster than freezing in glass jars.  Trying to decrease olive oil amounts to reduce freezing space and oil as cooking causes tremendous oxidizing; pesto browns quickly when cooking.  It is not necessary to add large quantities of pine nuts for flavorful pesto, however, even a small amount of walnuts or pecans changes the flavor.  The more you continue to trim and use your basil, the better it will grow!  Never pick leaf by leaf to make a batch of pesto.  It will take for.ev.er. to clean them.  Snip off entire branches.  Never let branches soak in water any longer than absolutely necessary. 

*recipe adapted from Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa

Flours: Make your own cake, self rising and bread flours.

Who knew you could make your own cake flour, self rising flour and bread flour from all purpose flour?  These are easy substitutions and a fraction of the cost of buying specialty flours.

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