Presto Pesto!

Whether you've grown your own basil or are a recipient of someone else's bounty, pesto is the perfect soloution for that lovely green herb. It's a wonderful feeling to add a cube or two of brightly flavored pesto to your recipe in the middle of winter! Using a food processor as your only tool makes the whole process a breeze. So hop to it! Here's the lowdown:

The ingredients...

Pesto:

2 Tbs. chopped walnuts, pecans, or pine nuts

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1/4 cup olive oil

4 cups basil (leaves, no stems!)

1/2 cup grated parmesan

1/4 tsp. salt

pinch of pepper

Finely chop nuts in food processor. Add garlic and pulse to a fine mince. Add basil, parmesan, salt, and pepper & pulse to a paste. Add olive oil gradually in a slow stream with the processor on until incorporated. Fill an ice cube tray with pesto and cover with plastic wrap. Freeze til' solid, pop out and store frozen in freezer bags.

Makes 1 ice cube tray (10-12 cubes)

*Feel free to follow the recipe loosely. Add more olive oil, or other seasonings to taste. Several squeezes of lemon juice are also a nice addition.

The final product!