ingredients

500 g basil leaves 200 g various nuts and seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, hazelnuts) 8 cloves garlic good quality extra virgin olive oil (can also be extra virgin sunflower) sea salt, pinch of black pepper 1 drop lemon essential oil 1 drop lime essential oil

progress

The pasta is a hit with anyone who loves pasta “in a hurry”. Such pesto is also added to spreads, soups, in sauces, it’s just such a super homemade “semi-finished” ready for “worse times” . I used to make bear garlic pesto at home, but I only got to basil pesto in a big way last year. I forgot about the recipe, so I bring it to you now that I’ve already made this year’s pesto from my basil. I’ve always added lemon juice to the pesto. But last year’s experience totally blew me away and I’m happy to share it. I picked the basil randomly at a friends garden, they had so much that they were happy to share. I got two full bags worth. At home I piled up a bunch of nuts and pips, but I really didn’t have any lemon. So I tried flavoring the mixture with a drop of lemon essential oil and added a drop of lime essential oil. Both oils come from a company that declares their purity and therapeutic benefits. So if you have essential oil from a regular drugstore, you can wash your floors with it, but definitely don’t use it for rubbing or internal use. For essential oils, a drop, in half a kilo of mixed herbal pesto, is really enough. And so apparently it also works as a preservative, because I put one pesto away and have now opened it after a year with no signs of mould, it smells fantastic! Plus the pesto doesn’t sour in taste, it still looks delicious after a year. The preparation will make you happy. TIP: you can use the basil stems in compost or in stock. They are not suitable for pesto, as they may rot.

1.

I don’t add pecorino or any cheese to the pesto, it keeps it fresher longer. So we’re going to make a vegan raw pesto. Alternatively, we can roast the seeds and let them cool. The progress is up to you, the taste of the roasted nuts will surely be more pronounced.

2.

However, if you are adding nuts such as almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts, it’s a good idea to strip them of their skins. This is done by steaming or by gently toasting and then wiping in a tea towel, the skins will separate from the warm nuts. If you don’t have a good blender, you can grind the nuts in a nut grinder – yes, one with a handle like our grandmothers had.

3.

Whisk basil leaves with a little olive oil, garlic and essential oils until smooth. Add garlic as you progress, you can use a smaller amount. I don’t know exactly how much oil to add either, the jasom has created a completely solid mixture, so I’ll add more oil when cooking.

4.

Scrape the porridge out of the blender with a spatula, add the ground nuts or blended seeds. Stir and season with sea salt and black pepper.

5.

Place in dry glass jars so that the top is tamped down – try to avoid air bubbles. I found it helpful to drizzle the top with olive oil. Close the jar tightly, I stored mine in the fridge. To keep it raw…