I hope you all have a juicy delicious strawberry-filled weekend! My husband grabbed the Acela today to visit some family in Boston, and I am staying home to enjoy a couple of very quiet days. I will pop by the greenmarket tomorrow to buy some basil (I made an amazing pesto just this week and need to make more, I think it is the best food ever, my recipe is below); I'll brunch with friends; I'll crack open a couple more books I grabbed from the library; I'll ride around Prospect Park on my bicycle, and I'll watch "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" starring a very young Catherine Deneuve in her breakout role. I also had a couple big meetings this week where I wore some adorable faux-croc patent kitten heels (cute but after a few hours - OW) so my feet are chewed up and thus the footwear du jour shall be my gold Havaianas. Ahhhh. Have a great weekend too!
Best-O Pesto
As you can see, my cooking style uses no measurements. I just use a bit, then add more a little at a time and do a lot of tasting. :) I find this is keeps you conscious about what you are creating and you can really then make it taste exactly as you wish.
A couple big bunches of basil (if you want to make a ton of pesto, buy lots!) - you can also use cilantro which is super-tasty
A high-quality olive oil (I like L'Olivier oil best right now)
Pinenuts or walnuts
3-5 cloves of raw garlic
Parmesan cheese, if desired
Chopped tomatoes
Puree the basil and some olive oil in a food processor (you can also use a blender though a processor is easier and faster). Add olive oil as necessary so that it becomes a lovely pesto base. Add a clove of garlic at a time, until it tastes as garlicky as you'd like. Throw in some walnuts or pinenuts, and then cheese if you'd like. Voila! Very easy. I served it last night with some brown rice fusilli pasta, and I topped off the dish with fresh chopped tomatoes, which is always a nice accent on a pesto dish. Enjoy!
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