Pesto

Yesterday was the midpoint of Spring known as the cross quarter. This time of year everyone seems to be gardening. If you have decent soil and plenty of sun you can grow basil.
Here in Lambertville there is quite a bit of alluvial soil that has been deposited by the Delaware river over the millennia. It is light and full of minerals and makes growing many things a snap. I wish my yard got more sun because I really miss growing tomatoes and basil.
If you grow basil or have a friend who grows basil, you'll probably want to make pesto. Nothing maintains the fresh taste and aroma of basil better than pesto. It's really easy to make and will keep in the refrigerator for weeks with a slick of olive oil over the top.
You can make pesto in a blender, food processor or with a mortar and pestle. One thing to be careful about is not to over-process extra virgin olive oil as it can become bitter. Start with clean basil leaves, garlic and toasted pine nuts. Crush it all together into a paste, then add a little extra virgin olive oil, parmesan cheese and black pepper. Mix to combine and that's it. The quantities are really up to you. It is easy to add a little more cheese, a little more garlic or a little more oil, so just experiment.
Variations include toasted walnuts instead of pine nuts, a mixture of parsley and basil, or vegan pesto without the cheese. Substitute roasted garlic or sun dried tomatoes for some richness if omitting the cheese. Avoid adding acidic things like lemon juice or corrosives like salt. They will cook the pesto and really shorten its life span. You can add salt or lemon to the finished dish as you use the pesto, but never to the pesto itself if you intend to store it.