When one thinks of pesto, one can consider it as a way of dealing with abundance such as fresh summer herbs. There are so many things you can do with pesto, like use it as a spread on a sandwich, or as a sauce in which to toss pasta, or as a garnish to top a grilled chicken breast, or even toss with roasted organic veggies such as potatoes.

Makes about 1 ½ cups of pesto

Ingredients:

4 cups packed fresh organic basil leaves or a combination of fresh summer herbs
½ tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup of olive oil
2 tablespoons of pine nuts toasted
½ cup of fresh Parmesan cheese

Method:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. In the meantime prep an ice water bath (a bowl filled with ice and water). Using a strainer, place basil leaves in a strainer and submerge in boiling water. Stir basil leaves and hold leaves in water for about 15 seconds. Remove leaves from boiling water and immediately plunge into ice water bath and stir to instantly cool basil leaves.

Drain leaves and squeeze as dry as possible with your hands. Roughly chop basil. Place basil leaves, minced garlic, toasted pine nuts and olive oil in blender. Blend for 30 seconds. Add the cheese and pulse until combined. Use immediately or store in an air tight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for several days.

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