Basil Pesto

This Recipe is from a book called the Herbfarm Cookbook page 102. I haven't made many other recipes out of this book because my herb garden failed and to do these recipes justice you need fresh herbs. Judging by this pesto recipe, however, the rest of the recipes have to be pretty great.

Critical Equipment:
Cusinart (people younger than I can do this recipe with a mortar and pestle).

Key to success:
Money. If you are going to the trouble of using fresh basil you should go to the trouble of buying good ingredients.

Quantity:
This recipe is for one cup. But, you'd be insane to just make one cup; if only for the fact that you purchased expensive olive oil, expensive Parmesan, expensive pine nuts, and maybe even expensive fresh basil - the remains of these are too precious to leave in a dorm kitchen for the unworthy to absentmindedly consume.


Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic - peeled
3 Tablespoons raw pine nuts
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 ounces stemmed basil (about 3 cups gently packed)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. I started using the regular knife blade to pulverize the cheese. You can also use the grater attachment.

Process the garlic, pinenuts and salt until finely ground; about 15 seconds. Add the basil leaves and process in spurts just until no whole leaves remain.

With the machine running, pour the oil through the feed tube in a steady stream.

Stop, scrape down the sides, then process for several seconds more.

The mixture should be ground to a paste-like consistency but a little leaf texture should remain. If necessary, pulse mixture again.

Add the cheese and pulse until just incorporated.

Put it into jars or even freezer bags and freeze it. It lasts forever.