Basil pesto

Basil pesto

Season: Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring

Type: Preserves

Difficulty: Easy

Serves: Makes 1 cup

Ingredient: Basil

 

This classic condiment is very well known. I have included my recipe here for easy reference. Kitchen gardeners always have heaps of basil and will want to make at least one large jar of pesto each season.

Equipment

  • Food processor
  • Bowl
  • Spoon
  • Screw-top jar
 

Ingredients

  • 1 cup firmly packed basil leaves
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to seal
  • ¼ cups pine nuts
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • Sea salt
  • 60 grams parmesan, grated
 
 
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Download the basil pesto recipe for special needs literacy, with step-by-step photographs for visual learners.
 

What to do:

  • Put basil leaves, olive oil, pine nuts, garlic and salt in a blender or food processor and blend/process until smooth. Stop the machine once or twice and scrape down the sides with a spatula. When evenly blended, scrape the green paste into a bowl and stir in cheese.
  • Spoon pesto into a clean and dry 250 ml-capacity screw-top jar. Press down with the back of a spoon to ensure there are no air pockets and seal with a film of olive oil. Store in the refrigerator.

This recipe is from Stephanie Alexander's Kitchen Garden Companion (Penguin Lantern 2009).

 

© Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation 2011 (except where otherwise indicated). You may copy and communicate this material for non-commercial and educational purposes provided you retain all acknowledgements provided with the material.