Pesto Miracle

I have been amazed this year...I started 2 meager and meek 4" pots of Italian sweet basil earlier in the summer. I planted them with Black Gold Organic Potting soil and Dr. Earth Veggie fertilizer in 5 gallon pots and stuck them on the back deck. I added 2 drip emitters to each pot and sat back to watch the magic.
Within a month I harvested 6 packed cups of aromatic green leaves..the essence of summer. The smell of basil transports me to another land. Its fresh, spicy scent is like no other. I snipped each rosette of basil back to the double buds below. I practically stripped each plant clean to make the green food of the gods: pesto. Recipe to follow.
A month later, lo and behold, the plants are lush and flourishing once again! Their shiny, ripe offerings on display. I repeated my harvesting technique, again, acquiring 5-6 cups of leaves. After I make the pesto in the food processor, I freeze it in ice cube trays or 4 oz Tupperware. In February, when I am jonezin' (spelling?) for summer flavors, I just pop out a couple single servings and toss with linguine. It tastes like the day I made it!

Today, I took one last shot. Got around 4 cups. Still fresh and sweet, albeit a little more light green as the summer winds down. This is my 4th time! With pesto going for $$ per 4-6 ounces at the grocery store. I probably have around $100 worth of fresh, homegrown pesto in my freezer to last me the entire year! Not a bad investment for 2-4" plants back in June!

The Best Basil Pesto
`2-3 cups packed fresh basil
`1/4-1/3 cup dry toasted pine nuts (pignolis) * sometimes I just feel nutty!
`1-2 garlic cloves sometimes you are in the mood for more garlic!
`generous pinch of kosher salt or two
`4-5 turns of the pepper grinder (medium to coarse grind)
`about 1/3-1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil. I like to use 1/2 dark, robust type and 1/2 light and mellow variety.
`1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Combine basil, pine nuts, garlic, s 'n' p in food processor. Whirl until combined. With the machine running, slowly pour the olive oil into the machine until all combined. Add the parm at the very end...whirl just for a second. UR done.

* to toast pinenuts put them in a dry non-stick skillet over low to medium heat for 5 minutes..don't walk away! They are expensive (Costco is the best buy!), and you don't want them to burn! You just want a little bit of chestnut color to some of them.

Note: You will want to get it into the containers as soon as possible as the longer it is exposed to oxygen, the less green it will remain. If there is extra air in the container, I will put some saran wrap on top of the pesto to keep the air off. I sometimes with add the juice of a lemon to the pesto to help keep it greener. Will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days max. Freezer 12 months.

Ideas for pesto beyond pasta:
-spread on tortilla with some turkey and cream cheese for a pesto turkey wrap.
-Dollop as garnish for minestrone soup
-Spread on tilapia or other white fish, add some slices of tomatos and some balsamic and broil until done.

Variations on the theme:
Sub arugla or spinach for basil
Sub walnuts for pinenuts
Add sun dried tomatoes to the mix or mushrooms