Perfect Time for Pesto

Is your basil plant over-producing? Have you seen the two-dollar bags of it lining the tables at the farmer's market? Or are you ready for a fresh condiment that is great year round with a variety of menus? It is time to put away some pesto for the long winter months ahead. It is a fabulous condiment that can be easily prepared with no cooking and individually frozen to toss in recipes in the months to come.

Make the Pesto

Any simple pesto recipe will do. Add the ingredients and then taste it. If you are unsure about consistency, it should be slightly runnier than ketchup. Put all the ingredients in your blender and blend until it is a thin paste. My pesto calls for 2 cups of packed basil leaves, ½ cup pine nuts, ½ cup parmesan cheese, ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, 4 cloves of garlic and a teaspoon of sea salt. Some recipes suggest you leave out the cheese if you plan to freeze it, but I have found no reason to ascribe to this practice.

Preserve the Pesto

Pour the pesto into ice cube trays and lay a sheet of plastic wrap over the tray. Freeze for about three hours. Pop the pesto cubes out of the try and drop them into a large container or gallon freezer bag. Immediately return the pesto cubes to the freezer so that they stay individually frozen. Now you have one-ounce servings of pesto, ready to thaw at a moment's notice. The cubes thaw quickly on the counter or in a sauce pan. Be careful using the microwave because the idea is to thaw the pesto rather than cook it. It can also be stored for two or three days in the fridge.

Use the Pesto

I thaw 2-3 cubes of pesto out, depending on the serving size I need. It has a strong flavor, so a few ounces will go a long way. I use it for pizza sauce, baked or grilled chicken or fish, pasta and rice. You can add about a half a cup of beef, chicken, or fish stock to your thawed (or fresh) pesto for a sauce for meat. My favorite pasta salad has just four simple ingredients: pesto, pasta, halved grape tomatoes, and quarter-inch mozzarella cubes.

Soon, you will find other uses for it. Mix it with plain yogurt to make a tangy salad dressing or dip. Cream it with butter for a fresh variation on garlic bread. Spread it on your sandwiches. It is great with fresh tomatoes and mozzarella. Once you start to use pesto, you will likely find that you need to double the recipe. Get your freezer loaded up now. Finding fresh basil for a new batch in February will be a challenge!