.Perfect {Basil} Pesto.

It's what's for dinner. (What are you having?)

We typically do our grocery shopping together on our family day (Monday). Yesterday I could not resist the basil plant that was begging to jump into our cart. We all LOVE fresh basil pesto. For the amount that we eat during the summer, I should really plant some. I guess what I bought is plantable. But I have a terrible black thumb. Ack. We will probably continue to support our local famer's market!

Here is the pesto recipe that I make to please our taste. Pesto is usually made according to preference and taste, but if you have never made it, try my recipe as a starting point!

Here is what you need:

fresh basil leaves

almonds (or pinenuts or walnuts or just about any other nut!) - crushed

garlic cloves

olive oil

parmesan cheese (or romano) - grated

asiago cheese (I don't always use it. But I had it on hand.)

salt (I prefer sea salt)

pepper

Step One:

Crush 1/2 Cup of almonds and then dry toast them over medium heat in a skillet - stirring so that they do not burn. You want them golden brown.

(Mine got a touch dark because I am in the process of potty training my middle boy, and we had to make several potty runs while these were toasting!)

Step Two:

Place two cups of packed fresh basil leaves in a food processor (or blender - I use this with success) and add toasted almonds on top.

Pulse for several moments.

Step Three:

Slowly add 3/4 Cup of olive oil to the basil and almonds. Pulse. Occassionally scrape the sides with a spatula. Pulse until well blended and smooth. Add three cloves of garlic - minced and pulse until blended in.

Step Four:

Add the 1/2 C grated cheese (I also added one slice of asiagio - I just crumbled it) and pulse again until blended. Then add a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper.

And you will end up with perfect pesto! We love pesto best served over warm whole wheat pasta - or as a cold summer pasta salad.

This will store for about a day sealed tightly in the fridge. To keep it from browning pour a slight layer of olive oil over the top before sealing.

What is your favorite summer recipe or meal?

.An Interruption.

I interrupt this regularly scheduled broad cast (whatever that is - this blog is so random!) for....

soliciting some help from YOU!! Please. {whine}

If you have followed me for a bit you know our background. My husband and I had been in camp ministry for years until just recently getting called into the pastorate. With said camp ministry, we would move our family to the campground and live there from the beginning of May to the beginning of September. Because of that we ate camp meals that were cooked for us. I was spoiled rotten. I never cooked. I never grocery shopped. Not all summer.

So....

Although I love to cook, I have a confession. (I think this confession will cause me the loss of some of my readership.)

I don't know how to cook in the summer!! I don't know what meals to make. As the thermometer has been reading 90 this week, my kitchen is warm, and I have no desire to heat up my oven for one of my normal recipes. What do I do?? What do I make?? Can you please {whine} share some of your favorite recipes with me? I would so appreciate it!

I like to use recipes with whole foods, no processed foods, little refined sugar and white flour, but honestly I am game for almost anything at this point because....

another confession here {blush}....

my family has eaten hot dogs twice this week.

And I don't even like hot dogs.

(Are we still friends?)



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