August has been good to me. Despite the long, hot, dry Indiana summer, my garden is producing beautiful tomatoes and basil. I've spent the last three summers gardening with little to show for it. Then I learned how to compost. And what a difference it made!
I don't need to tell you that there's nothing better than homegrown tomatoes with a little salt. A close second - homegrown tomatoes smeared with a dab of fresh basil pesto. Pesto is so easy to make and smells like garden heaven.
Put it on anything: pasta, potatoes, baguette, grilled chicken or fish.
Spread some in a grilled cheese sandwich, or use it in place of tomato sauce on pizza.
Thin it out with extra olive oil and use it as a salad dressing.
Add it to hummus.
The sky's the limit.
Pesto it up.
Basil Pesto
From Simply Recipes
1/3 cup walnuts (or pine nuts)
2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1/2 tsp minced garlic (2-3 cloves)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Pulse walnuts in a food processor until roughly chopped.
2. Add basil and garlic, pulse 5 times.
3. Turn on the food processor and slowly add the olive oil.
4. Add the cheese and pulse a few times.
5. Stir in lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.
6. Refrigerate and enjoy!
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