Basil Pesto

Ingredients

• 2 cups (100g) fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup light olive oil
• 3 tablespoons (40g) pine nuts, toasted
• 2 large cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 or 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan, 1/4 cup grated romano - or I just use 100g grated parmesan. Millel block is very good.

Method

1. Blend everything except the cheese to a smooth paste

2. Add the cheese, blend at a lower speed.

Options

• Salt and Pepper to taste

• Blend in 2 tablespoons of butter after adding the cheese

• Just before serving beat in 2 or 3 tablespoons of hot water

• Substitute 4 teaspoons of lime juice for the lemon, and use coriander leaves instead of basil. (Leave out the cheese?)

Alternative Recipe Using Heritage Basil

In summer of 2022 I was given a couple of heritage basil seedlings. It is growing vigoriusly at the coast, yielding pungent leaves which I am not game to make into standard pesto as above. So I tried the below and found it delicious. Adding one ice cube of it to David's standard Charmaine Solomans Thai green curry was a nice addition, though perhaps the stongest effect was from the lime juice.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (50g) fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup light olive oil
• 1.5 tablespoons (20g) pine nuts, toasted
• 1 large cloves garlic, crushed
• Juice of 1 Lime
• 3 small hot chillis, deseeded

Method

1. Blend everything to a smooth paste

It could be interesting to try this without the pine nuts - it is then more like a salad dressing, probably good on Thai beef salad for example.