My CSA has begin, such a joy. Every Friday I pick up a basket of fresh harvest. This week there was a giant bouquet of Basil. Oh my, the smell filled my kitchen, I felt like I was living in an herb garden. To keep the basil taste fresh and wonderful I made a batch of fresh pesto, served it with sauteed chicken and garlic bread. Still licking my lip and tasting that pesto hummmmmmmmmmmm. I will give you the pesto recipe, I took the chicken, marinated it in a squirt of lemon juice and some Italian dressing for a couple of hours, cut it up sautéed it just until cooked through, threw a little pesto on it turned off the stove and let it sit with the pesto on it for about 20 minutes Cooked the fresh pasta, (so much better than dry, truly worth the extra money). Tossed pesto on it and threw in the chicken with it's cooking juice and the pesto it has sat in, heat it through before throwing into the pasta. OH, MY so good.
PESTO
2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup Olive oil
3 tablespoons pine nuts or walnuts
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
Place basil leaves in small batches in food processor and whip until well chopped (do about 3/4 cup at a time). Add about 1/3 the nuts and garlic, blend again.
Add about 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese; blend while slowly adding about 1/3 of the olive oil, stopping to scrape down sides of container.
Process basil pesto it forms a thick smooth paste. Repeat until all ingredients are used, mix all batches together well. Serve over pasta. Basil pesto keeps in refrigerator one week, or freeze for a few months.
