Seeing Green – Pesto 3 Ways

Pesto is no longer a fancy ingredient used in French and Italian cuisine, nor is it something only a girlfriend or wife would cook up. Green pesto is man’s food. A basic seasoning made in bulk and utilized on many dishes to give it that spark. Pesto is romance for food.

Traditional pesto is a simple garlic-basil sauce traditionally found in French cuisine. It seems complicated, but it is easier to make than a great steak sauce and will have your family amazed at your cooking skills. Be the meal hero with the green with these four delicious pesto blends.

Traditional Pesto:

• 2-heads garlic crushed, peeled, chopped
• 4-cups fresh basil leaves washed and dried
• ¼-cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 –cup pine nuts
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Add all ingredients to a mortar and petal or a food processor and blend until smooth.
2. Divide by ¼-cup servings into sandwich baggies, tie these up and store in an airtight container in the freezer.
3. Pull out one or two at a time as needed.
4. Use this fresh pesto to dress up plain hot pasta, baked potatoes, plain chicken, rice, or even as a seasoning to other mild or bland foods.

Dried pesto seasoning:

• ¼-cup dried garlic powder
• ½-cup dried basil
• ½-cup chopped pine nuts
• 1/8-teaspoon salt
• 1/8-teaspoon pepper

1. Blend this in a large bowl and store the mixture in the freezer.
2. Sprinkle it on fresh salads, buttered potatoes, or any other place you would normally use an all-purpose table spice or salt replacement.
3. Leave the salt off for low-sodium diets.

Pesto Butter:

• 1-pound unsalted sweet cream butter softened
• 1-cup fresh basil leaves washed, dried, and chopped
• 1/2-cup finely chopped pine nuts
• ¼-cup garlic crushed, peeled, chopped
• 1/8-teaspoon salt
• 1/8-teaspoon pepper

1. Blend this in a food processor until thoroughly incorporated.
2. Measure into ice cube trays, freeze, then dump the frozen cubes into zip-lock bags and store in the freezer.
3. Pull individual cubes out when needed.
4. Use to season garlic bread before toasting, as a meat rub, and as a butter spread at the table.

This post is one of the Eating Garden Fresh series, where we bring you delicious, simple ways to enjoy garden fresh produce.

Go here to Submit a recipe of your own to the Eating Garden Fresh Guide.

About Amie Sugat

Amie Sugat has written 50 posts in this blog.

Author at Amiesugat.com and at Untrained Housewives , she currently is a Live-in-Nanny and enjoys cooking, sewing, and writing eclectically covering subjects related to her lifestyle.

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