Basil Pesto

Well, my friends...That time of year has come....the weather has turned cooler and my pot of basil has stopped growing. It still looks well, but you can tell that it is not going to grow much more. I usually do this the first week in September, but we were having such lovely weather that I though I'd let the basil alone for a few days. When the weather turns cooler and the basil stops growing, I whack it all off and make basil pesto. I do this because it's no use trying to winter the basil over, and I also need the pot to plant spring bulbs. When the spring bulbs are done, it is time to plant basil again. I have done this for many years now. I have always made pesto out of the basil, but in the last few years, I have started a tradition of having pasta with basil pesto on Christmas Day. It's a lovely tradition, and eating the pesto brings back the memory of warm September days. This pesto can be used for many things. It can be used on pasta, on garlic bread, on toasted bagels, in soups, on fish...use your imagination!

Basil Pesto

3/4 cup olive oil

2 cups fresh bail leaves, stems removed

1/2 cup fresh parsley

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 Tablespoons pine nuts (see Note)

1/2 teaspoon salt

pepper

1 to 2 teaspoons hot water (as needed)

Place all ingredients except hot water in a food processor and process with metal blade for about 45 seconds. If desired, thin with hot water. Cover and refrigerate, or freeze in ice cube trays. After freezing, pop out cubes and store in the freezer in a plastic bag. Makes 1 1/2 cups sauce.

NOTE: If desired, use toasted pine nuts. Place pine nuts in a shallow pan, and bake 3 to 5 minutes at 350 degrees. Watch carefully!

TIM'S NOTES: I usually pack the measuring cup when measuring the basil leaves, and the parsley. I try to use plain old Italian Basil, and I like to use Italian Parsley if I can get it. If not, the curly leaf parsley will do. I also toast the pine nuts. I don't freeze this in the ice cube trays, but just in a heavy plastic container. The ice cube tray thing is a nice idea, I've just never done it. It would be easy just to add a couple of cubes to a pot of soup.