Basil Almond Pesto

Before I get into this recipe - which is so fresh and tastes like summer should - let me just say that gardening is hard work!  All of the soil prepping, tilling, planting, fertilizing, weeding, watering, picking, (not to mention the attacks from obnoxious slugs who think that I have planted a delicious feast for them to gorge on every night)... it's A LOT.  And then there are the inevitable failures of crops that don't grow quite like you had anticipated - like the radishes that taste woody and flavorless because apparently they were missing a vital nutrient in the soil.  As well as the risk of leaving your tomatoes exposed to the dangers of being consumed by deer all because you want the plants to line your patio so you can have a pretty place to sit.  It's enough to make one say, "You know, I could just buy all of this at the store". 

But alas, after all of the worrying and sweating and cursing and hoping, comes the wonderful blessing of harvesting what you have worked so hard to grow.  Suddenly, it all becomes worth it!  It is such an exciting feeling to see those tiny tomato blossoms and then to search for the little green tomatoes that follow.  Or to see the first squash or cucumber forming on your maturing plant.  Nothing tastes quite as good once you've tasted homegrown produce.

On this particular day, my excitement came from harvesting about 2 cups of basil leaves.  Healthy, green, and oh-so-flavorful, I couldn't wait to put them to use!  What better way to use basil than to make homemade pesto?  Traditional pesto is made with pine nuts, but I didn't have any.  So I used what I did have - almonds.  The outcome was satisfying, to say the least.  The measurements in this recipe are more of a guideline.  I would suggest that you taste as you go and get it to the consistency that you like.  Add more olive oil if you wish, or less cheese, or more basil.  That's the fun part about cooking - making something your own by adjusting to your taste.
 

Basil Almond Pesto

2 cups basil leaves
1 cup raw almonds
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil

1.  Add all ingredients minus the oil into the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse a few times to chop everything.
2. With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the pesto reaches the consistency that you like.

You can use this pesto to add to pasta, chicken, steak, veggies, salad...the possibilities are endless!  I added some to cold noodles to make a pasta salad.  Just toss in whatever veggies you have on hand and voila, a perfect dish for summer!