Ready for some pesto!

I have some beautiful basil that needs to be used right away, so here is my favorite recipe for fresh basil pesto.

Since G has allergies to walnuts and pine nuts, I make my pesto with sunflower seeds or pepitas. Today's version has several different kinds of olive oil from a recent pantry clean-out. I am using a small amount of each of three cold pressed extra virgin olive oils: one is infused with basil (called Olave), one is called Mt. Kofinas from the island of Crete (available locally in Cincinnati, and very delicious), the last is infused with truffle. This pesto will probably be the best ever.

Today The Very Zest's test kitchen is fresh out of lemons, so I am using bottled lemon juice. It is a good one called Nellie & Joe's Famous Key West Lemon Juice (from concentrate). Also, I am using my last head of garlic. A trip to the grocery looms in my future.

Pesto is delicious tossed with sautéed shrimp and pasta. Tonight, I plan to butterfly a turkey tenderloin, fill it with this fresh pesto, roll and tie it, then roast it. It will be nice with a broccoli and bulgur wheat salad.



The Very Zest Basil Pesto
Makes 2 to 3 cups

Ingredients

4 c fresh basil leaves
6 cloves garlic, peeled
2/3 c sunflower seeds, roasted, without salt
1 c parmesan cheese, freshly grated
2/3 c olive oil
1/2 lemon juiced
to taste salt and pepper

Procedures

• Combine basil, garlic, sunflower seeds, parmesan cheese and half of the olive oil in food processor. Pulse until mixture develops a smooth texture.
• Mix salt, pepper and lemon juice together, then pour into the processor.
• Add remaining olive oil as needed to keep the pesto moving smoothly in the processor.

If you will not use all of this pesto within the next 3 days, I recommend using a spatula to pack the mixture into a clean ice-cube tray. Cover the tray with several layers of plastic wrap, then tuck the tray into a freezer bag and freeze. Then use cubes of pesto as you need them.