11.13.2010 Pesto

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the basil was looking bad...it was do or die time to make this years pesto.  the house smelled so strong of basil, it was almost medicinal. 
I follow Ina Garten's recipe for pesto...in her Barefoot Contessa Parties book

5 cups packed basil leaves (when I was cleaning mine, a lady bug flew out and landed on my pink mixer :)
1.5 cups good olive oil
1/2 cup walnuts (she has half walnuts, half pine nuts)
1 cup fresh grated parmesean
9 cloves fresh garlic
1 tsp salt, 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

I use my cuisinart...
process nuts & garlic for 30 seconds
add basil, s&p, process while slowly adding olive oil, blending till pureed
add parmesean, process 1 min.




I freeze most of it in a ice cube tray and then put the rest in freezer bags, flattened out and all frozen to be used all winter long.

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