Fresh Basil Pesto

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I love this recipe! Buy big bushels of basil from the farmers market to make this..Or just grow it yourself! So easy to plant and grow. You can use this pesto as a base for a pizza , cover chicken and bake it in the oven, or as a topping for pasta..Perfect alone with crackers as a delicious appetizer

1 large bushel of Basil, rinsed and leaves picked off ( about 2 cups of leaves)

8 cloves of garlic ( oh yes! So good, make sure everyone eats it so you all have the garlic breath 🙂 )

1/2 lemon juiced

salt and pepper

3/4 cup EVOO

1/4 walnuts or pine nuts

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a food processor or blender, puree nuts with a tbsp of the olive oil, add in garlic next and puree. Squeeze in lemon juice. Add cheese and blend. In batches add in basil leaves and olive oil, until all pureed. Mixture will be thick! Season with salt and pepper.

You can make this in big batches, freezes well! 🙂

Related Articles

• Taking Basil Beyond Pesto (well.blogs.nytimes.com)
• Recipe for Basil Pesto with Lemon (and Ten Ideas for Using Basil Pesto) (kalynskitchen.blogspot.com)