The basil and parsley are growing quite nicely this year.  It’s not tall yet but there are numerous plants with big leaves in our garden so I had plenty to harvest for a batch of pesto.

The ‘traditional’ pesto is made with basil and pine nuts.  But there are as many different pesto recipes as there are cooks.  You can mix or match all kinds of greens, including but not limited to, basil, parsley, mint, spinach, arugula, garlic scapes, etc.  Various nuts and seeds, raw or toasted, can also be used, such as sunflower seeds, pepitas or pumpkin seeds, walnuts, pine nuts, pistachios, almonds, cashews, macadamias, or some nut yet to be heard of.  Good pestos also need good cheeses. Hard, salty, aged cheeses work best, think parmesan, pecorino, grana padano, or an aged asiago, though you can use a cheese substitute or leave it out all together if you must.

There are also various mixing directions.  Some put the cheese in prior to the oil being incorporated and some mix it in afterwards.  I don’t think you can go wrong as long as you like the various components being used.

Here’s the recipe I used for my latest batch.  I toasted the nuts and seeds in a dry cast iron frying pan heated to medium low for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Then cooled them before making the pesto.

Basil Parsley Pumpkin Seed Pistachio Pesto

4 cups packed fresh basil leaves, washed and dried (may be part parsley)

3/4 cup toasted nuts (I used 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds and 1/4 cup pistachio nuts)

3 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup olive oil

3/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Blend the first four ingredients in a food processor until finely minced.  With the machine running slowly add the olive oil until incorporated.  Remove from the processor and stir in the cheese.

We used it on toasted cheese sandwiches and froze the rest.  You can freeze in an ice cube tray or put tablespoons on a wax paper lined cookie sheet, freeze until firm, then pop in a freezer bag for future use.  Have fun experimenting!