Nov. 18, 2006 - In praise of pesto!
Years ago I watched a young Jamie Oliver knead by hand the most luscious fettucine I'd ever seen.
As my mouth watered, and my frustrated culinary attuned mind worked on sourcing a good pasta machine, he followed his pasta triumph with a heady, aromatic basil pesto. It looked so easy that I headed out the door to ravage my carefully tended pots of basil in order to try it for myself.
I made it. I was in love.
Pesto is a family favourite now, and something that needs to be made in
~~ginormous!~~~~
proportions in order to keep everyone happy for a day or so. Since that first batch we have found many different ways to enjoy our pesto (though we still looove it with pasta!).
Creativity in the kitchen is something that I was born with, and something that brings me a great deal of satisfaction. I found a new challenge this year, though, and it is because of that I decided to start this new blog.
Earlier this year my 12yo daughter and I became vegetarians. That decision meant studying our nutritional requirements (especially with a near-teenager) as well as the planning, sourcing, purchasing and serving of our food - especially when the males of the household are unyielding carnivores!
Meat used to be the centre of our meal, and I planned the side dishes to compliment it. These days I get so caught up in the yummy vegetarian meals that I sometimes forget to throw on some meat for the men. 
Thank goodness they can't cook - they are very forgiving of me.
Maybe one day they'll go veggie too........(and parsnips just might fly!)
So, here on my blog I'm going to share my kitchen. Hope you'll come sit at our table one day - truly! In the meantime why don't you make some pesto?
Pesto
In a food processor throw in a good bunch of fresh basil (about two cupfulls), 1/2 cup lightly toasted pine nuts, 1/2 clove of garlic, 1/2 cup frshly grated parmesan cheese, and juice of 1/2 lemon.
Process for a minute or so, then slowly drizzle in 1/2 cup of good olive oil.
If you're not going to use it straight away pop it in a jar and cover with a thin layer of olive oil - then put it in the fridge.
But *beware*! It is most addictive.
Comments
Nov. 23, 2006 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Anonymous
Hoping your site is dedicated to vegetarian meals, I seem to have forgotten all those vegan meals we ate for years and I want to find my way back. Your receipes sound so scrumptious:)
Erin
Nov. 25, 2006 - Just wrote a whole message and had it deleted.
Posted by paminoz
How annoying!
I was saying no wonder we're friends- the three foods listed so far are three of my favourites.
Did you know you can freeze pesto? It's a wonderful treat in the winter; like a bit of summer from the freezer.
Coriander pesto is nice, too but I can't remember the recipe. Lime juice and no parmesan I think.
Dec. 8, 2006 - pesto...
Posted by amada
I LOVE IT!!! I never knew it until we went to Peru and one of their dishes we call "Green Spaghetti" it is a type of pesto sauce over fettuccine noodles and it hooked us! Now it is seriously one of my FAVORITE foods! I had friends from Austrailia in Peru! Small world it is.
Amy
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