Conference turris::cooks

This is a pesto recipe I got from a friend who's husband was born in Rome.
I tried it once and think there was too much garlic, but maybe you'll like it.

                                    Pesto

1 cup olive oil
3 cups fresh basil (or parsley)
1 cup parmesan
1 cup pine nuts (or walnuts)
1 clove garlic

Blend in blender until mixed.  Serve over pasta.

Re .1

You gotta use basil!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Parsley just makes it look green but it
doesn't make it taste like pesto.

By the way Pesto freezes very well.  Makes an almost instant meal.
Just Boil the pasta and put on the pesto (which you can defrost in
your micro-wave, or take out before your leave for work).  Our
freezer gets real full in the fall when the first frost is predicted.
By the way on the receipe.  I sometimes use a mixture of basil and
parsley, but never under 50% basil.

Another detail...

I made pesto in late 1983 and may finish the supply this year, but
I've got basil in the ground preparing for a new batch.  It may not
be too late if you get nice seedlings.  When we made the pesto (basically
per .1, but in a processor and not all the ingredients at once until
the end), we froze it in an ice cube tray and then put the cubes into
zip-loc freezer bags.  To use, (this is the important part) take a
pesto cube and melt it on the stove with a like quantiy of milk or
cream.  The cubes themselves are too strong.  Then stir in pasta and
it's ready to serve.

Re:  where to find basil. . .

I've never been lucky enough to find basil in a supermarket.  Most farm
stands, though, carry it; I have been known to wipe out an entire supply,
much to the horror of the cashier on duty!

Also, you can get some big basil plants this time of year at a lot of
garden supply houses (like Russell's on Rt. 20 in Wayland, Crescent
St. Farms off Rt. 117 in Stow, and Idylwilde Farms in South Acton.)  I
know these aren't necessarily a hop and skip away from Marlboro, but
when you're addicted to pesto, a commute to the source of the Holy
Basil is a slight price to pay.

An avowed addict myself,

Edwina

SET MODE <BRAG>

I planted 15 basil plants this spring. From them I averaged 2 batches of pesto
(using 2 cups of basil) every two weeks. If you keep plucking the leaves off
carefully, leaving the new growth underneath, it will just keep growing! I got a
total of 13 of these batches, 11 of which made it to the freezer. If we don't
get a frost for a week or so I may get another small crop. Next year I intend to
experiment with different types of basil. 

I am firmly convinced pesto is really what the Greeks meant when they talked
about Ambrosia. :-)

Tamzen

Basil and most other plants of the mint family will grow indoors in pots, too,
if you can arrange for a place where they will get enough sun.

--PSW

    In a desparate, last ditch attempt to make pesto in March, I attempted
    to add good things to an instant pesto mix.  The result was
    disasterous!  Instant pesto is gritty, and smells like chemicals.
    There's nothing that can be done for it.  I'll never use it again.
    
    MATT

Wilson Farms in Lexington has fresh Basil all year 'round.  (Also
pine-nuts, olive oil, and the best produce in Boston.) 

To get there from Rt. 128, take Rt. 2 Eastbound to the Pleasant St. exit. 
Turn left at the exit ramp and continue about 1.5 miles to the farm just
before the Mass Ave. rotary. (1 mile to Winter St. stop sign, 1/2 mile to
Mass Ave.) 

Having gotten that far, turn right onto Mass Ave and proceed 1.2 miles to
Arlington Heights.  You'll find The Chocolate Box just before the Park
Ave. stop light.  (Right onto Park Ave 1.5 miles to get back to Rt 2.) 

Martin.

PS: not enough garlic in the recipe.

    Is there any way to make pesto with dried basil (or is this
    sacrilegious?)  If so, what is the equivalent of dried basil to
    fresh basil?
    
    Thanks.
    

    I don't think it comes out the same.  Basil is ridiculously
    easy to grow, anyhow.  The seeds should be available at your
    local seed-rack.  They come up quickly and the basil grows
    quickly.  Just keep it watered.  Very few insect pests bother
    it - in fact it keeps nearby plants free of pests, if you
    believe the companion-planting literature.  And it comes in
    all sorts of varieties.  Right now I'm growing:
    	- regular green leaf basil
    	- bush basil, a rounded 1'x1' bush with small leaves
    	- red frilled-leaf basil
    	- cinnamon basil
    	- licorice basil
    	- lemon basil
    and there may be one more that I've forgotten.  Home dried
    basil, dried by hanging it up in bunches in the kitchen, is
    much sweeter tasting than the store-bought stuff.  Most
    home grown herbs are well worth the effort, and many are
    lovely to look at, too.  I've got a HUGE variagated sage
    bush - it's about 3 feet across and has dark green leaves
    with lighter green/yellow markings - right by the back door.
    It's lovely, and completely maintenance free, and the sage
    is delicious both fresh and dried.
    
    Try it, you'll like it.  You can even grow many of these in
    patio containers or in windowsill pots.
    
    --Louise

    > Is there any way to make pesto with dried basil (or is this
    > sacrilegious?)  If so, what is the equivalent of dried basil to
    > fresh basil?

    Sorry, it doesn't work (I tried).  The taste of dried basil is
    completely different than fresh; additionally, the moisture from
    the fresh leaves is important to the texture of the mixture.
    
    BTW, thanks for spelling "sacrilegious" correctly.
    
    					andrew
    

    It is difficult to get fresh basil in the winter.  I have tried
    using fresh parsley with just a little (maybe a teaspoon) of dried
    basil when I couldn't get fresh basil.  It isn't exactly the same,
    but parsley is a pretty good vegetable, too.
    
    Another ingredient sometimes difficult to find (depending how much
    time you have to spend driving to shop) is pinoli, or pine nuts.
    I have used ground walnuts in their stead, and that was good also.
    
    I like food if it tastes good to me, regardless of the similarity
    to the "conventional" taste.  Anyway, you can try it.
    
    Beryl

    I've seen "winter pesto" recipes that use spinach (usually available)
    for most of the basil, with some dried basil.   Doesn't taste the
    same, though.  Also, walnuts are good but don't taste anything like
    (expensive) pine nuts.

    Can't you freeze pesto?  Make it, perhaps leaving out the pine nuts,
    and freeze it.  When you need some in the winter, go get your pine
    nuts, thaw the pesto and blend in the nuts.  (that'd let you make
    large batches without going broke buying all the pine-nuts at once)
    
    Anyone try this?
    
    I've also had good luck freezing parsley in ice-cube trays with
    just enough water to cover.  I chop it, stuff it in the trays, put
    in a little water and freeze it.  When that is frozen, I add water
    to cover it and refreeze.  You need the two-step process because 
    parsley floats and otherwise some will be exposed on the top of the cube.
    Then you can put it in zip-lock bags and use the cubes all winter.
    You might be able to do this with basil also.  The herbs end up
    a bit limp after freezing, but they're better than dried ones.
    
    --Louise

    Freezing pesto has worked fine for me, even with the pine nuts.
    I just put it in pint-size plastic containers and then let it defrost
    partially before reheating it in a saucepan; I thought it came out
    just about the same as the fresh, no noticeable difference in taste
    or texture.  That way you can make lots when the fresh basil is
    available and yet satisfy your craving when it strikes in the middle
    of the winter!  Now I'm hungry!!
    
    
    Jan   who_now_sees_green_sauce_in_her_dreams

    We keep just an olive oil and basil mixture very tightly covered in the
    fridge and it has held up ok for about 6 months. The flavor's down a
    bit, but the olive oil hasn't gone rancid. 
    
    - Mike 

    I've frozen pesto successfully for years.  I usually combine only
    the oil, garlic, and basil, adding the pine nuts and cheese after
    it's thawed.  It keeps forever.
    
    					andrew

re .13

I've had real trouble with bugs eating my Basil.  I've found that ants keep 
their aphid farms on them.  I've finally given up on growing my own, and buy 
fresh it year round at Idylwilde Farms in Acton, Ma.

						     
							- JP

    I found this note a while back and, even though I had never tried
    pesto, decided since everyone raved about it, it must be good! :-}
    
    Well, Hubby and I are confirmed addicts!  What a flavor!
    
    One question though.  I found the pine nuts in a health food store.
    Are the pine nuts used as they come, or should they be toasted/roasted 
    before using?  Hubby loved the flavor but had an upset stomach all 
    that evening.  (Since the pine nuts are the only thing he hasn't
    had before, I figure they're the culprit).
    
    ('course it's not the end of the world if I have to eat it 
    ALL MYSELF!)    :-}    

    RHD
        

    The pine nuts are supposed to be raw, but it couldn't hurt to try them
    roasted. It might change the flavor, but it would probably still be
    good. 
    
    The real question, though, is: are the pine nuts what's responsible?
    I'd bet, first, on the basil. Usually, we don't eat it in such high
    doses. Also, there are lots of different varieties, some of which are
    more potent than others. We use a large-leafed sweet variety which is
    kind of mild, and even so, our nursing baby can tell (we just had some
    for dinner last night, so the experience is fresh in my mind). Of
    course, the garlic probably had something to do with it, too. 

    When making a rice with chicken  we always lightly toast the pine
    nuts.  It brings out a nice toasted taste.
    

    If you decide that pine nuts are the culprit, you might try using
    walnuts in their place the next time you make pesto.  The flavor
    will probably be a little different, but I imagine it's still yummy.
    Unfortunately, I can't give you my impressions from personal experience
    -- I've never bothered to experiment with pesto variations because
    I like the original so much.
    
    Susie

    I made my first batch of Pesto about two weeks ago. I'd only eaten it
    once so making it was a real adventure. I've decided that using all
    bottled herbs/spices is a big mistake. The basil had been fresh frozen.
    I also used walnuts because they were readily available. The taste is
    very different from what I remember. The sauce came out way to thick.
    Now that I've read the helpful hints here I'll try again and get back
    to all you Pesto fanatics. BTW Pinches & Pounds at Shrewsbury Village
    has pinenuts ( I think they were $3.00 a pound) I don't know if that
    is expensive but, they have all the spices, herbs, candies, you could
    ever dream of!!!!! Try, try again.....Heidi
    
    
    

    If you love pesto like I love pesto.... You'll love this recipe!
    
    It started off that I went to Bel Canto's and tried a pesto pizza.
    I loved it! I made a very good reproduction pizza at home. It wasn't 
    exactly the same, I think Bel Canto's version had sun dried tomatoes.
    I priced sun dried tomatoes and refuse to buy them.
    Here is what I did.
    
    Roll out a pizza crust and bake for 6 minutes at 400 degrees
	
    Top the pizza with pesto, thinly sliced plum tomatoes, extra minced
    garlic (for garlic lover's only), freshly grated parmesean cheese
    (I usually used a combination of parmesean and romano), and freshly
    cracked black pepper.
    
    Return pizza to the oven and cook until done, around 15-20 minutes.
    
    Enjoy
    

I'm glad to see I'm not the only pesto addict.  Having once tried it,
I started planting basil in a window box (forget the flowers) outside 
my apartment so I could make my own.  

Here's my slightly different recipe that I can't remember where I got.  
Anyone know what pecarino cheese is?  Never did find it.
                                                             
                Blender Pesto                                
                                                             
2       Cup     Fresh basil                                  
1/2     Cup     Olive oil                                    
2       Tbl     Pine nuts                                    
2       Clv     Garlic (peeled & crushed)                    
1       tsp     Salt (I use just a pinch)                           
1/2     Cup     Grated parmesian cheese                      
2       Tbl       "    romano cheese                         
2       Tbl       "    pecarino cheese 
3       Tbl     Soft butter                                  
                                                             
                                                             
1.  Combine 1st 5 ingredients in blender
                                                             
2.  Add cheeses to mixture by hand                           
                                                             
3.  Beat in butter                                           
                                                             
4.  Add tablespoon or 2 of hot water from the pasta          

    I always thought that pecorino was a type of romano cheese.

    I planted 42 basil plants in a vertical garden. I am getting about
    4-6 cups of basil leaves per week, enough for 2-3 batches of pesto.
    But it looks like production will increase, the plants seem to love
    this heat.
    
    The recipe (if it can be called that) is:
    
    2 cups packed basil leaves
    4-5 cloves garlic
    slightly less than 1 cup (maybe 6 or 7 oz.) grated romano/parmasean cheese
    1 cup pine nuts
    approx 1 cup olive oil
    
    Drop garlic into food processor while blades are running. Then stop
    and put basil and nuts into food processor bowl. Process a bit and
    add cheese. Pour oil in while processing. Makes about 2 cups.
    
    I have a seal-a-meal and am freezing it in 1 cup batches. This is a
    pretty thick pesto. When I thaw it out I usually stir some more oil
    into it before serving. 
                                                             
    Tamzen

    We had this for dinner last night, and it was delicious, not to
    mention easy - it's a heavily-modified recipe I found in one of
    those good-food-quick cookbooks (I have a lot of those kind of
    cookbooks  -- we like to cook, and eat, but we also like to do lots
    of other things).
    
    Preheat oven to 450 oF.
    Butter a baking dish.
    Put in food processor:
        4 scallions cut into 1" pieces
        4 peeled garlic cloves, cut in half
        a large bunch of basil leaves (use it up before frost hits!)
            maybe a cup or so
        some other fresh herbs (we used fresh tarragon, but we don't
            grow it) maybe a quarter of a cup
        a few tablespoons of pine nuts (recipe used walnuts)
        some grated lemon peel
    Chop all this up finely using on and off pulses of the machine
    Then, with the machine running, add enough olive oil to make a smooth
    paste - maybe 1/3 cup or so.
    Remove fat and skin from two whole boneless chicken breasts, and
    cut them in half.
    Completely cover them on all sides with the pesto sauce.
    Bake uncovered for half an hour (a little longer if you use dark-meat
    pieces with the bones in).
    
    While the chicken is baking, prepare rice pilaf (out of a package...).
    
    We ate this with steamed artichokes.  Boy was it good!!
    
    Enjoy -
    /Charlotte

    I buy Trios Pesto Sauce at the grocery store.  Even though it gets
    expensive (since we use at least a jar a week) I've never "gotten
    around" to making it homemade.
    
    But, back to the subject -- I on occaision baste chicken pieces
    with the pesto sauce when I broil them.  I use the pesto just like
    I would use BBQ sauce.
    
    I second the rice pilaf from a box idea -- only if it's Near East.
    
    

    I made a modification of .0 last night.  Thawed out a 1/2 cup portion
    of my homemade pesto, added 1/8 tsp. of dried lemon peel and 1/4 tsp
    tarragon, and coated two boned, skinned chicken breasts with it.  I
    baked them at 450 for about 20 minutes, topped them with lots of
    shredded Parmesan, and put them back in the oven till the cheese
    melted.  They were excellent, and I will definitely do this again. 
    However, when I took them out of the oven they were literally swimming
    in a deep pool of olive oil.  Next time I'm going to put them on a
    rack.  I highly recommend this as a *very* quick, easy meal.  Thanks,
    Charlotte!
    
    							Pat

    This is really good!  I made it last night.  The only problem I
    had was the 450 oven.  My smoke alarm made a lot of noise and the
    oven could use a cleaning (sigh--no self-cleaning).  Do you think
    I could turn the oven down and cook it at a lower temperature? 
    It was delicious and easy especially since I also had some frozen
    pesto. Thank you.
    
       Flo

I've got a supply of purple basil growing in my garden.  I really meant to
plant the green stuff but made a mistake.  Will this variety suffice for
making pesto?  I have just a little pesto left from last year's batch
so i must make more or it will be a looong winter.

-jim

> I've got a supply of purple basil growing in my garden.  I really meant to
> plant the green stuff but made a mistake.  Will this variety suffice for
> making pesto?  I have just a little pesto left from last year's batch
> so i must make more or it will be a looong winter.
    
    Someone else may disagree, but I can't tell the difference in flavor
    between the purple and the green basil.  I haven't made any pesto using
    100% purple basil, but I have made it using about 50% purple and it was
    delicious!
    
    							Pat

    I agree, use it. I did but was sort of disappointed that it didn't make
    the pesto purple. It wasn't brilliant green like normal pesto, but it
    wasn't purple either, just sort of muddy. But it tasted just fine.

    Tamzen

    My brother-in-law who is a professional chef told me that he likes
    to use spinach in his pesto. I think he told me that he uses half
    basil and the other half either parsley or spinach. He likes to use
    spinach for the good green color it gives the pesto. If the color from
    the purple leaf pesto is disappointing you might want to try spinach,
    it would be a great way to get some additional vitamins and iron into the
    meal as well.

For anyone that's interested, you can find Pignolia nuts (aka. Pine Nuts)
at the health Food Store in the Factory Outlet Mall at the corner of
Chauncy St and Rt. 9 in Westboro - across from Burger king.  Price is
$6.50 per pound.

-jim

    I've made many batches of pesto and would like to share some of my
    secrets here:
    
    1.	Use extra-virgin, first cold pressed olive oil. To simplify, get 
        the best olive oil you can afford. 
    
    2.	Try using 1/2 mint leaves and 1/2 fresh basil. The mint leaves
        are an interesting variation. I am currently leaving out the
    	cheeses and pignolia nuts entirely for a "lighter" pesto sauce (after
    	all, these items can be added later anyway).
    
    3.	Use the pesto on spaghetti and linguine or any thick pastas that
    	will hold the sauce well. 
    
    4.	For an interesting variation, substitute pistachio nuts for 
    	the pignolia or other nuts you'd normally use.  

    Questions regarding fresh contadina things (ie., pasta, pesto)
    
    They have dates on them to be used before.  I bought some pesto
    on 3/19 and never looked at the date (I guess I assumed victory
    wouldn't leave out old stuff) but when I went to use it yesterday
    I saw a date of 3/12.  This date stated "to be used before" not
    to be bought before.  
    
    Is this date correct?  Is victory wrong is leaving it out for 7
    days after the date?  
    
    How long does pesto last in the frig? I looked up the notes on
    this and never saw anyone keeping it in the frig but one noter
    and they left it there tightly sealed for 6 months.  The rest 
    of the noters usually freezed theirs... and theirs is fresh.
    
    Thanks for the help.
    
    
    carlajeanne
    

I suspect that it probably hasn't gone bad, but it won't be the way that
Contadina had intended it.  If I still had the sales receipt, I'd take it back
to the market where I bought it.

--PSW

If you haven't tried the parsley pesto, do so!  Use italian flatleaf parsley,
though.

Some alternatives:

	Add some sun-dried tomatoes to the blender.  Use the plumped-in-water
	or marinated-in-oil type.  They become part of the puree, and color
	the pesto reddish.

	Add some anchovies, especially to the parsley pesto!  Mmmm!  (De-salt
	them in some milk first.)

	Try substituting cilantro for half the basil or parsley.  Then put this
	over homemade red chili pepper pasta...  Don't make this in as large
	a batch, as the cilantro flavor fades after a while.

	This is Jeff Smith's recipe...


			Pasta al Pesto

	  4 cups basil
	1/2 cup olive oil
	  2 cloves garlic
	  6 sprigs parsley
	    Salt and pepper to taste
	1/4 cup pine nuts, walnuts, or almonds
	1/2 cup fresh-grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

	Place the basil in a blender (don't bother trying this with
	dried basil; it won't work).  Add the oil, garlic, parsley,
	salt, pepper, and nuts.  Blend until all are chopped very 
	fine.  Remove from blender, and add the cheese.

	Toss a little of this great sauce with hot thin spaghetti, 
	and top with a little more cheese.

	Serves 10 to 12 as a pasta sauce

	Makes about 2 cups....


	-----------------------------------------

	Another recipe in his book is...


		Potato Salad with Pesto

	This one is simple and most unusual.  Boil new or red potatoes
	with the skins on, cool them, then chop them into salad-size
	chunks.  Toss with chopped green onions and pesto sauce.


Enjoy..

Csw

    
      Does anyone have a Pesto recipe which does not include cheese? That
    may be like asking for an omlette recipe without using eggs but I find
    the only cheese I can use is cottage cheese and this might not be
    suitable.
    
    Thanks in advance
    Des. 

  As far as I know, as long as it contains basil and olive oil, it's
  pesto (or pistou, whatever).

  Other ingredients you can use (aside from cheese) and still call it
  pesto (and still have it taste good) are pureed pine nuts (pignolia)
  and garlic. Proportions aren't critical, but it's easier to add
  ingredients to the basil later than to take them away.

  Cottage cheese would probably change both the consistency and flavor
  enough to make it "not right" in a pesto recipe, though if you like
  it, go right ahead. I promise not to tell anyone.

	In a food processor, combine the following:

1 cup packed cilantro leaves
1 cup packed basil leaves
1/3 cup packed Italian parsley leaves
1 cup lightly toasted pecans
3 large garlic cloves
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 large Anaheim chile (roasted, peeled, and seeded)
1 large Poblano chile (roasted, peeled, and seeded)
1 Jalapeno or Serrano chile (optional - for added heat)

	Start the food processor and steadily pour in 1/4 cup olive oil as
ingredients blend. Sauce should be thick and pasty (add olive oil or Parmesan
to achieve desired consistency). Toss with hot pasta, garnish with herb leaves,
and serve immediately.
	Lucky for me, I happen to grow cilantro, basil, Italian parsley,
anaheim, poblano, jalapeno, and serrano chiles. If fresh chiles are not
available, then you should be able to substitute 1/2 can (or so) of canned
green chiles for the anaheim and poblano chiles...and probably any hot chile
for the optional jalapeno or serrano. It won't be quite the same (poblanos have
a pretty unique flavor), but it won't be too far off.

    A few weeks ago, I was at one of the best restaurants here in Tel-Aviv, 
    Keren, and I enjoyed some stuffed mushrooms as follows:

    On a small baking dish, there were some six fresh champignon heads, stems
    removed, up-side down; i.e.: the mushrooms looked like small "cups". Inside 
    each mushroom there was a generous dollop of "pistou", sprinkled with
    parmesan cheese, cream poured over it and then "gratine'ed".

    It was a great opener, with chilled dry wine.

    Enjoy,

    Juan-Carlos

I have taken the two pesto recipes that are posted in this file and put
them side by side to compare them.  As you can see there is a great deal
of difference in the amount of ingredients used.  I'd like to know which
one people think is better.


154.1                                 |154.39   This is Jeff Smith's recipe...
                                      |
    Pesto                             |               Pasta al Pesto
                                      |
1 cup olive oil                       |    1/2 cup olive oil
3 cups fresh basil (or parsley)       |    4 cups basil
1 cup parmesan                        |    1/2 cup Parmesan or Romano cheese
1 cup pine nuts (or walnuts)          |    1/4 cup pine nuts (or walnuts)
1 clove garlic                        |    2 cloves garlic
                                      |    6 sprigs parsley
Blend in blender until mixed.	      |    Salt and pepper to taste
                                      |
            	                      |    Place the basil in a blender 
                                      |    Add the oil, garlic, parsley,
	                              |    salt, pepper, and nuts.  Blend 
                                      |    until all are chopped very 
	                              |    fine.  Remove from blender, and 
                                      |    add the cheese.

	Re: .-1

	There's also a recipe in .28, and mine is closer to that one.	
	The two you've cited here are really quite different, as
	you noted, and I think somewhere in between is good.  I
        generally use Guiliano Bugialli's recipe as a template and
	wing it from there.  It usually turns out something like
	this:

	In the food processor -

	2 cups basil
	app. 3/4 cup olive oil
	3 cloves garlic
	1/4 cup Romano
	1/4 cup Parmesan
	2 T pignolia nuts
	8 whole walnuts, shelled
	1/4 tsp. salt
	1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

	Bugialli adds a couple of tablespoons of cooked spinach
	as well.  If I have fresh Italian parsley, I add about
	1/4 cup of that too.  That's the nice thing about pesto -
	it's hard to screw it up.

	Diane
	

Is there really that much difference? The main differences seem to be
that Jeff's has parseley and salt/pepper, and the proportions are
different. They're both going to have the main pesto flavors, but
Jeff's will be thicker (in basil) and have a little more zip (from the
parseley and pepper). Since I don't happen to like extra flavors in my
pesto, I'd leave out Jeff's extra ingredients, but I do like his ratio
of oil to basil, and the lower amount of cheese and pine nuts.

    >> Is there really that much difference?

	It's all relative.  If you're a connoisseur of pesto, it can
	make quite a difference.  I've tasted some horrible pestos.
	To me, that's kind of like asking if there's that much of a 
	difference between Bordeaux wines, or I should say, between
	Pomerols, for instance. 

	Diane

    I never measure any of the ingredients for pesto anyhow, but I would be
    suspicious of any recipe without romano cheese (pecorino romano) or
    with walnuts in place of pignolas - I'm reasonably sure the local
    pesto-lovers would notice the difference.  I've never added parsley to
    pesto - my husband hates parsley for some reason and can taste it even
    in minute quantities.
    
    /Charlotte

	Re: .-1

	I do know some people who make it with walnuts instead of
	pignolia, but I think adding both is better.  Walnuts give
	it a nice sort of dry edge and a little more depth.  Yum.

	Di

actually, I make a combo of both in which I use the cup of oil and fresh
grated parmesan (that means I grate it myself), 1 cup pine nuts or walnuts,
3 cloves garlic, peeled, approx. six sprigs of parsley and salt and pepper.
And (this is really unorthodox) I have also been known to add a splash of
balsamic vinegar to sharpen the flavors a little....the pesto police are
looking for me as we speak, but I move fast....

re kitchen shears, isn't that a bit drastic? I think I'd try nail
polish remover first. And anyway, a meat grinder would probably be more
efficient than kitchen shears.

    According to what I've read and heard, it is better to cut the leaves
    off of herb plants.  It is less damaging to the plant than pulling them
    off.

    
    Pesto ala Owen Meany.
    

    Mike!  
    
    (giggle giggle)

    Mike - Gawd! That was funny, I was having a such a rotten day and that
    just cracked me right up.
    
    Thanks
    b

Ha! Glad you folks enjoyed it, but it seems we scared off our customer!
Reply .50 has been deleted :-(

By the way, I was serious about trying to clean your fingers with nail
polish remover -- it'll take off almost anything.

Reply .50, which has been deleted by the author, asked "what can I do
about black fingers from picking basil". Does that help?

    I know all that, I still didn't get the last message.  Where everyone
    was laughing.
    
    This is getting tired now.
    
    Ferne
    
    
    

You didn't get a joke that wasn't hysterically funny, so you're annoyed
at the rest of us?

Ok, here it is, but like I said, it wasn't hysterical, so you didn't miss much:

Reply .50 asked what to do about black fingers. When I read it, the
first thing that came to mind was to try nail polish remover to clean
them. My approach focused on dirty fingers. Then comes reply .51
suggesting kitchen shears. Since I had been figuring out how to take
care of dirty fingers, my first reaction was "wow, cutting them off
with kitchen shears might work, but sounds pretty extreme". In the next
instant, I realized that the intent was to use the kitchen shears to
cut the basil to avoid getting fingers dirty in the first place, but
figured that if I answered as if I thought the intent were to cut off
the fingers, it might be mildly amusing. Apparently some folks thought so. 

It's not the joke of the century, and probably not even the joke of the
hour. I'm sure you don't regret not having gotten it. I never got "no
soap, radio", and don't lose any sleep over it.

Now back to our program ...

    If you still don't get it, read the book "A Prayer for Owen Meany" by
    John Irving......  
    
    Cara
    

Pesto, anyone?  I make a hobby out of trying to recreate the dishes I try at 
restaurants (and love).  I recently visited Cafe Pavone in Manchester, NH, and
tried a dish called Chicken and Shrimp in Pesto Alfredo.  Having found fresh
basil this weekend at the market, I decided to try making it with just chicken.
(I've made it once previously, but didn't get the balance of flavors right until
this time.)

			Chicken Pesto Alfredo

	2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
	1 stick butter or margerine
	1 pint light cream
	2 TB pesto
	fresh garlic
	olive oil
	white pepper
	parmesan cheese
	flour (for dredging)
	1 box Prince Silver Award Straw and Hay Fettucinne Pasta

	Pound the chicken to 1/4" thickness and cut into 4" pieces
	or "medallions"; dredge in flour.  Heat olive oil in frying pan.
	Saute chicken pieces until lightly browned; turn and add garlic 
	(1-2 cloves, or to taste) to pan.  Remove when cooked through.
	Add butter or margerine to pan; melt.  Add light cream and simmer
	over medium heat until reduced and slightly thickened.  Turn off
	heat.  Add 3-4 TB parmesan cheese and stir until melted; add 2 TB
	pesto and blend.  Place chicken and garlic back into pan and coat
	with sauce.  Serve immediately over cooked fettucinne.  Serves 4.

    Stir it into chicken broth with tortellini and spinach.

    Spread it on a ham sandwich!
    
    --Karen

    Made this last evening - it was very, very good.
    
    Thank you for the recipe.
    
    Flo

	Here is yet another variation of Pesto that my mother makes.  The 
	proportions of this recipe are very different from the other pesto
	recipes resulting in a thick paste, instead of a gravy.

	8-10 C fresh basil leaves (can use half spinach)
	1/3 C garlic cloves
	1/2 C walnuts or pinenuts
	1/4 C lemon juice
	1/4 C olive oil
	3/4 C parmesan cheese
		
	Put garlic cloves in food processor, process until chopped.  Add
	walnuts/pinenuts until chopped.  Add lemon juice and olive oil, 
	then, with food processor running, add handfuls of basil leaves
	until well blended.  Add parmesan cheese last (you may want to
	mix this in by hand).

	The lemon juice is part of this recipe in an effort to reduce
	the fat from the olive oil.  I've had this pesto on pizza with
	fresh tomatoes and light cheddar cheese.  It was delicious.  She
	made it with half spinach.  

	I just made a batch the other day with all basil and it smells 
	very strong.  I begin to wonder if I used too much basil.

	Any opinions on this recipe?

	

    Impossible!  No such thing as too much basil....
    
    That is approximately how I make pesto, when I have a good enough basil
    crop (not this year, sigh).  Use real pine nuts!
    
    /Charlotte

    Not a good year for basil, my basil is like most people's zucchini.
    It's grown up to my hips (okay i'm only 5' tall) and bushed out. I
    think I have more basil than any human being can use.
    
                                            Alice

re: .76

>    Not a good year for basil, my basil is like most people's zucchini.
>    It's grown up to my hips (okay i'm only 5' tall) and bushed out. I
>    think I have more basil than any human being can use.
    
I know exactly what you mean.  I'm not really much of a gardener, but 
rather a cook who gardens to have access to the produce.  Nonetheless,
basil just *loves* our yard!  I suspect we don't really even need to 
plant it, it would just grow spontaneously.  When I finish making pesto
I'm going to have more pesto than I can use in a year.

-Hal

    And some of us have had a lousy year for basil, and are gritting our
    teeth at your responses : )
    I make pesto very thick, like a paste.  When I need it to be thinned
    out, like for a sauce for pasta, I add : water, cream, or olive oil.
    Otherwise, most of the uses are for a dollop of it here or there, and
    the thick paste works best.  You can always thin it out, but you can't
    necessarily thicken it (unless you have a bumper crop of basil grrrr!).
    Sarah

   Anybody want to sell their extra pesto?

    I didn't even get a good zucchini crop - had a week's business trip,
    and when i got home the borers had killed all the vines.  I don't know
    what eats up the basil, but I only get a good crop once ever few years. 
    Some bug likes it at least as much as I do.
    
    /Charlotte

re: .78

>    And some of us have had a lousy year for basil, and are gritting our
>    teeth at your responses : )

Well if it makes you feel any better, I had my worst year ever for
tomatoes. :-)

-Hal

    
    Just a little something I threw together for dinner tonight:
    
    
    
    PESTO-BACON PASTA SAUCE
    
    
    approx 100ml cream              }
    2Tbs parmesan cheese            }  per person
    2Tbs pre-made pesto             }
    handful of finely-sliced bacon  }
    
    
    While pasta is cooking:
    
    Fry bacon bits until lightly browned but not hard. Drain on paper.
    Melt cheese in cream over gentle heat. Stir in pesto, cook gently;
    add bacon.
    
    Pour over/stir into pasta of your choice.
    
    It only takes as long as the pasta takes to cook. And it's
    WONDERFUL! 
    
    
    ~Sheridan~
    (very stinky-breathed now, but loving it:)
    

    See note 84.24 for Pesto Bruschetta.

    I bought Pesto and didn't notice it had Cilantro in it.  This gave it a
    hot spicy tangy taste.  I don't know if it is supposed to be this
    way or if the container went bad.  The date on it was 7/15.  I mixed it
    (uncooked) with pasta shells and it's absolutely horrible.  The thing I
    noticed when opening the flat plastic container it came in was the
    celophane was a high bubble.  So I'm thinking maybe air got into it
    while packaging.  I am totally disappointed because I expected it to be
    like the usual pre-made Pesto I buy.  I don't know the company name but
    would the cilantro give it a spicy tangy taste to it?
                                                 

>>    like the usual pre-made Pesto I buy.  I don't know the company name but
>>    would the cilantro give it a spicy tangy taste to it?
                                                 
Yes, cilantro will give anything a spicy tang taste.  A person really needs
to like cilantro for it to be added to a recipe.  I like a small amount,
but too much is gross....IMHO.

Judy

    oh thanks!  I wasn't sure if I had to cook it first before adding it to
    pasta - I tried to re-create this pasta-pesto salad they sell at Shaws. 
    It 'IS' gross.  I should have bought the one next to it with a touch of
    cream added...