Gardening is so popular; even more so as prices soar for fresh produce. Homeowners are planting flowers, vegetable and herb gardens to help defray the grocery stores costs. Plus it is much more satisfying to sit down to a meal knowing that you had a green thumb in “the menu”. We all love the look and scent of fresh flowers in the home, what better way than to plot out a piece of backyard and plant away. Well thought out gardens are also attractive to house hunters. Backyards are entertaining areas outside of the four walls that appear to add more livable square footage to your home.
Container gardens are also popular for smaller backyards, decks, and herb growing. Personally I plant my herbs in clay pots and place them here and there. They add a nice mix to flowers and shrubs. Also put herbs into baskets and hang them from tree branches or Shepherd’s hooks. In the Midwest we have a limited growing season, so we take advantage of the few short months and grow in abundance.
So if you are like me and overwhelmed by the amount of basil you have right now, here is a great recipe for pesto I found. Courtesy of Barefoot Contessa’s, how easy is that? Cookbook 2010
Makes 4 cups
1/4 cup, walnuts
1/4 cup, pine nuts
3 tablespoons, diced garlic (9 cloves)
5 cups, fresh basil leaves, packed
1 teaspoon, kosher salt
1 teaspoon, freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ cups, good olive oil
1 cup, freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Place the walnuts, pine nuts, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process for 30 seconds. Add the basil, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is pureed. Add the Parmesan and puree for a minute. Use immediately or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top.
Ina Garten “aka” Barefoot Contessa suggests how to prep your basil and save it for several days.
To clean basil, remove the leaves from the stems, swirl then in a bowl of water, and then spin them very dry in a salad spinner. Store them in a closed plastic bag with a slightly damp paper towel. As long as the leaves are dry they will stay green for several days.
