I have a huge bush of lush basil in the vege garden.Used a 'vege mix' soil on top of the topsoil, water almost daily in the summer, and have been pinching off the 'flowering' heads of basil. have a huge crop now from one plant. will have to get making pesto. with WALNUTS thanks to this thread!
lizab,
Jan 30, 7:20am
I made some the other day using this recipe posted by bellus_sybarite. It was the absolute correct consistency. I used Delmaine's light olive oil, but I could still 'taste' that yukky olive oil taste at the back of my throat, so will try again in a few days with either grapeseed or canola oil I think. Nothing lost, it's still very edible and I still have heaps of basil growing happily :)
A FRESH BASIL PESTO RECIPE INGREDIENTS 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese or Romano cheese 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts 2 - 3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Special equipment needed: A food processor METHOD Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more. Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Makes approximately 1 cup
Edited to add a big thank you to the posters above :)
toadfish,
Jan 30, 5:52pm
I went to a cooking demonstration. and he said to use Oil from really ugly Olives.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
made us laugh.
gardie,
Jan 30, 5:54pm
Can anyone tell me how to stop the pesto changing colour!Apart from covering it with oil (which didn't work for me).
toadfish,
Jan 30, 6:51pm
I called a Pesto manufacturer a while back (The one that comes in a pouch ~ essentials I think) complaining about the colour change in parts of the pesto.He advised me that it was oxidation and it didn't effect the taste or "Safeness" of the pesto. Not sure if he was spinning me a line but we are still here. and it didn't taste different. just looked less appealing.
cookessentials,
Jan 30, 9:06pm
Here is a great recipe from Macnut farms in Aussie.it is a fabulous place to vist. We went there in 2004.
Ross's Wicked Macadamia Pesto Sauce 1 cup firmly packed basil leaves 1/2 cup toasted macadamia nuts, chopped (mac meal is ideal) 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 tblsp balsamic vinegar 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese 1/3 cup olive oil
Blend or process basil, macadamias, garlic, vinegar and cheese until well combined.With motor operating, gradually pour in oil to give a thick, smooth consistency.
This sauce is delicious poured over salads, meats etc and can be stored in a fridge for two weeks (approx) - but in Ross's house it's never there that long!
cookessentials,
Jan 30, 9:08pm
In fact, lookin at their site, there are some delicious recipes using macadamia nuts including a gorgeous sounding luscious macadamia orange cake. http://www.macnut.co.nz/recipes.htm#Ross
uli,
Feb 1, 7:28am
bump for more pesto this summer
dolma,
Feb 1, 8:24am
you can also use sunflower seeds instead of the pinenuts.
richard198,
Feb 1, 7:27pm
So it appears you can use any old nuts, any old oil! Chuck them in. Nobody will know the difference.or will they!
When people found Caviar too expensive, they used lumpfish roe! Tasted the same.didn't it!
uli,
Feb 1, 9:59pm
Looks like there are so many variations now. Someone posted a recipe for a "pesto" made from almonds and nasturtuim leaves.
If you want to make the original Italian recipe then go to an Italian website and check out the ingredients. It will always be olive oil, pinenuts, basil and parmesan of some sort. Cheese and oils and even basil varieties will vary from area to area.
beaker59,
Feb 1, 11:10pm
Pesto has changed but I like most varients and see it as a great way to consume all those nice garden herbs Your formula could now be modified to oil, nuts, herbs, lemon juice, cheese and still be a pesto of some sort :)
Whats in a name! taste and texture are the important things.
davidt4,
Feb 2, 1:16am
What is in a name is a shortcut indication of what to expect in a dish.If I see "pesto" in a menu description I expect to get a paste made of basil, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, Parmesan or Pecorino, olive oil, salt.I do not expect something made with coriander and cashews, or almonds and nasturtiums.
malcovy,
Feb 2, 1:57am
Any restaurant I have been in have always named the variety of pesto whether it be made with mint or coriander or the delicious and traditional basil pesto.If it was basil pesto then I would expect them to use all the correct ingredients not canola oil etc.
elliehen,
Feb 2, 1:58am
Aren't we talking about home cooks and home recipes here!Cooks who, judging from most of the comments above about expensive ingredients, need to 'cut the coat according to the cloth' !
It always puzzles me when some people think the Recipes message board is about high end restaurant cooking and what you might expect to see on a 'menu'.
elliehen,
Feb 2, 2:00am
Me too.I think we can trust restaurants to get it right.And we can always ask before we order.
davidt4,
Feb 2, 2:14am
What a condescending attitude.Not everyone that participates in this forum is poor and unskilled by any means.
elliehen,
Feb 2, 2:26am
That is not what I meant.
To be absolutely clear - most people will have understood what I intended.
This forum is for cooks both skilled and unskilled looking for ideas and recipes.It's not the place anyone, skilled or unskilled, would come to do scholarly research.
davidt4,
Feb 2, 3:22am
Light olive oil has been chemically treated and doesn't taste great.Next time try using a good quality extra virgin olive oil e.g. Village Press or Peta Mathias brands.
richard198,
Feb 2, 4:28am
If there are unskilled people using this forum then they will benefit from some straight facts.
daleaway,
Feb 2, 4:34am
How long will pesto keep in the fridge! And is mint pesto any different in its keeping qualities!
beaker59,
Feb 2, 5:02am
To Quote Wiki, "Because pesto is a generic term for anything that is made by pounding, there are various other pestos, some traditional, some modern. For this reason, the original (and most common) pesto is now called pesto alla genovese or pesto genovese (both forms are used in both English and Italian), in order to help differentiate the original basil based pesto from alternatives"
While I would agree with you in many traditional recipes names, Pesto is in reality a style rather than a specific recipe. Interesting that Pesto is the root name for Pestle
beaker59,
Feb 2, 5:02am
To Quote Wiki, "Because pesto is a generic term for anything that is made by pounding, there are various other pestos, some traditional, some modern. For this reason, the original (and most common) pesto is now called pesto alla genovese or pesto genovese (both forms are used in both English and Italian), in order to help differentiate the original basil based pesto from alternatives"
While I would agree with you in many traditional recipes names, Pesto is in reality a style rather than a specific recipe. Interesting that Pesto is the root name for Pestle
elliehen,
Feb 2, 5:03am
Of course!But they're not always asking for what some 'experts' are desperate to tell them ;)
malcovy,
Feb 2, 7:42am
I know you did not ask about freezing pesto and what I do is freeze pesto in containers and then scoop it out.Using a generous amount of olive oil keeps it from being rock hard frozen.
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