Pesto The Besto

Holy cow this summer feels as though it has literally gone by in the blink of an eye! The weather here in the Midwest has been pretty up and down but to me it feels as though it has been a pretty mild summer and I can't complain about that.  I love the cool summer nights where the crickets sing me to sleep, the humidity goes down to allow a cool breeze to pass through the screens, and the air has a hint of flowers, herbs, and earth in it that fills our home. Ahhhhh just the best!

So as I have mentioned in previous posts my husband built me a large and wonderful garden this year.  I am a person who avidly researches plants and tries to make sure I have all my bases covered such as with the soil, compost, mulch, plant companions, etc.  This year though the purse strings were tight and the last thing we wanted was to stretch our budget even more to have top soil poured in,  compost and all that jazz. Most of our plants did very well so apparently there is more to our soil than meets the eye. We have sandy soil around our home and apparently our basil LOVES it. So I thought I would post a homemade pesto recipe for all of you with an ingredient that you may not have thought of!
Honestly, there is nothing like the joy and sense of accomplishment when you make something yourself; not to mention knowing EXACTLY what ingredients go into it.

Now pesto is one of those delicious things that you can really be creative with which is why I love it.  I have grown a serious love of adding different ingredients to my pesto such as but not limited to: arugula for its peppery flavor, lots of lemon or lime, red pepper flakes to give it a kick, mint, sun-dried tomatoes, avocados (help make it smoother), I mean heck the list just keeps going!  This year I went the mint, lemon, and lime route. I also am a "lose" measurer.. I kind of measure but more or less I just taste it along the way and constantly say to my husband "taste this again...better?"

Basil Mint Pesto

Ingredients:

- 3-4 cups of fresh basil
- 2-4 cloves of minced garlic (I like garlic so if you don't go with 2)
- 1/2 cup olive oil (again how thick do you like it? Add more if too thick 😉)
- splash of lemon juice
- a few cranks of sea salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1/3 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese (I usually add a bit more because I like cheese.. also try and find good cheese, it makes a world of a difference and Always freshly grate it)
- juice of half of a lime or I used 1-2 drops of DoTERRA lime essential oil
- a handful of fresh mint or 3 tablespoons of dried mint (I am a fan of fresh.. plus this year it grew in my garden like a wild thing so I needed to use it up)

*Another thing I like to add is a touch of lemon pepper.  This just adds a bit more flavor and zest so feel free to try to add it in! Some other seasonings I have added in the past are celery salt, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, essential oils, cayenne pepper, or seasoning blends.

** You can add in or take out whatever you want and feel free to share with me what you found yummy! I love trying new things!

Instructions:

Ok... this is the difficult part... ready?

Throw all that stuff in a blender or food processor and pulse a few times. Use a spatula to push down the sides and pulse a few more times. THAT IS IT my friends! After you pulse and  taste test, make family members and friends have a few tastes as well and VOILA! Delicious!  I store mine in the freezer in a small mason jar, mine is good for almost a year.. if not a year.

** Great on pasta, paninis, combine with tomato sauce, on chicken, salmon, rice, potatoes, antipasto platters, in dips, on pizzas... the possibilities are endless.

That's it for me peeps!
xoxo,
Lauren

p.s. (I literally chuckle every time I add the xoxo (gossip girl peeps will get that) so I just keep doing it.. apparently I like to just crack myself up)