Eat it, of course! I've used some of the pesto I made in a yummy recipe that I came up with on the fly. It turned out pretty tasty, if I do say so myself:
Portobello Mushrooms with Orzo Pasta and Pesto
INGREDIENTS:
2 portobello caps, washed and thinly sliced
1/2 small onion, cut in half lengthwise and then thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1-2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup cream or half and half
3/4 cups uncooked orzo pasta
1/4 cup pesto
DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat a medium-sized saucepan with olive oil. Cook onion, over medium heat for a few minutes until onions are translucent. Add garlic and thyme, cook for a minute, then stir in flour and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add sliced portobellos, stir periodically until cooked.
2. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and the orzo pasta. Cook for 7-9 minutes. Reserve 1/3 cup of water from pasta, drain.
3. Stir in the cream to the portobello mixture on the stove. Give it a few minutes to thicken.
4. Stir the pesto into the drained pasta. Serve pasta with the portobello on top.
And, if you are wondering how to make pesto, here is an adaptation of a recipe I found on allrecipes.com. There's been an abundance of basil in my garden. I've had to augment it with stuff from the garden share and from the farmer's market. Don't waste your money on the stuff at the grocery store. I got a TON of basil at the farmer's market for $1 per zip-loc bag.
Pesto
INGREDIENTS:
3 cups chopped fresh basil
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup pine nuts
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon chipotle
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
DIRECTIONS:
1. Place the basil in a blender. Pour in about 1 tablespoon of the oil, and blend basil into a paste. Gradually add pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, garlic, chipotle and remaining oil. Continue to blend until smooth.
STORAGE:
This keeps up to about a week in a tupperware in the refrigerator. Freeze pesto in an ice-cube tray, then transfer to a zip-loc bag for longer storage in the freezer.
4 comments:
Mmmm! I'm sad that I didn't get my basil to take this year. I LOVE pesto. I helped Emily figure out a loverly pesto pasta recipe with the stuff you gave her, and it was a hit.
I've never seen chipotle on the ingredients list - interesting! I'll bet it adds a nice kick of flavor.
It does! That was something I added to the version I was playing with.
Mmmm....I LOVE pesto!! Our basil plant also is kinda weak this year, I am so sad to say. I still have hope that it will take off this month, but not sure if my dreams of homemade pesto will come true...
Are you making pesto from homegrown basil in your garden?
I've had to augment with basil I picked up at the farmer's market. Next year, I'm planting a lot more.
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