Making pesto

I have lots of basil that I would like to make into pesto before the plants give up for the winter. I have read in all of the recipes that you must have a food processor to chop the leaves but I have only a blender - would this be okay? Also, I have some cinnamon basil that I would like to include but would the flavour of this be wrong?

 

Including cinnamon basil is ok. But I do think a food processor will work better. But, there are ways around everything. You will have to very finely chop up walnuts on the side. Then in your blender put the basil and "good olive oil" in and chopped up garlic and puree. Then scope out the muck from the blender and mix with the walnuts. I've have made batches before and froze it. When needed I just slice off the portion from the glob I need let it room thaw and move on.

Another thing you can do with lots of basil, is just take the basil put it in the blender with some water, puree it up, then pour the muck in ice cube trays. When frozen then crack it out into a freezer bag, it will keep well all winter. So all you need to do is grab a cube or two for your cooking needs. In general when I freeze anything I package it well for the freezer.

 

Thanks! I'm quite excited about the prospect. Going to be making pesto and also spicy tomato chutney as got back from hols to find that my garden has absolutely exploded with fruit, veg and herbs in my absence :yho:.

 

The other thing I thought of later, is you can grind the walnuts finer in a coffee grinder if you have one.

 

Good tip Redstar. I have a coffee grinder I only use for grinding spices and nuts. Works a treat. I just wipe it out with a bit of kitchen paper between uses.

 

Hi!
Just wanted to know how the pesto tastes. I love pesto, and I always make it on my own (I only have a blender as well, and it works out great) but I never tried it with cinnamon basil. So, is it worth a try?

 

It tastes great - even if I say so myself! I had three different types of basil growing in the garden (sweet, Greek and Cinnamon) but they all started dying away so gathered leaves from all of them and put them all into the pesto together. I am very pleased with the result and have a bag of pesto cubes in the freezer now :wink:

 

I am bad cook.
The most sofisticated dish I can cook is an egg...:hehe:
But I can say something as I am Italian.
Yet, I am native of Milan that is just 100 miles away from the city of Genoa.
Genoa is the "motherland" of Pesto.
As far as I've been told by all the italian housewives the real recipe say that you must have this "tool" (to trample/ crush / grind the basil leaves).




Alternatively, you can use this:



But - still - the true recipe says that you should use the first one (whose italian names is also "pesto". "Pesto" comes from "pestare" = "to beat, to crush, to trample).
Having said that, I say it again: I am such a bad cook that I do not even look italian. :hehe:
Furtunately I have my wife. Otherwise I would eat only junk-food :hehe:.
My wife says that's because I am lazy and I do not want to learn to cook.
I reply that I have other skills... :wink:

 

"True recipes" such as pesto were developed prior to food processors were.

Well, Maksim, I truly side with your thinking. As long as the other partner is doing other things then its ok. I don't believe both partners have to be jointly good at all things with the household. Each person has strengths and weakness in all areas, its a balance game for both.

 

Please let us know what dishes the pesto goes well with - I love pesto particularly with tortellini style dishes. Are you using it in anything in particular, or just with every meal? Please share some recipes that go nicely with the pesto you have made...vegetarian only, please

 

I haven't made pesto for ages but have used different herbs to make different versions. Parsley was good. I think you could substitute various nuts as well. And oils. Aldi used to do an Italian cheese of the Parmesan type which worked well and was not too expensive. I wonder if you could use Cheddar - maybe it would go pasty. Parsley/cheddar/hazelnut would be a nice British version. I'd try adding a leaf of wild garlic as well.

Freezing is a really good tip as it put me off when the top layer went black, although a layer of oil helps prevent it.

I used to eat it with pasta, but I don't eat pasta any more. I would eat it on baked potatoes or stirred into minestrone.

I think you've inspired me.

 

I will be looking to make some pesto soon as I have 6 types of basil going well, Genovese, Spice,Cinnamon ,Lemon,Dark Opal and Greek. I really dont know what to do with it all.

 

I made pesto drizzled on some mushroom risotto. The risotto didn't taste of much (needed better, stronger mushroom stock?) but the pesto sure was delicious. If you can make tasty stock for the risotto you could try that.