Pesto for Now and Later
I wouldn’t recommend making the below in such a giant quantity that is difficult to eat in one winter if not two. The approach is the same for smaller batches of four bunches basil, liberal cup olive oil, 100 gram pine nuts, pecorino and salt to taste, serving at least ten people.
In the last week of August, at a proper market, you should be able to buy substantial amounts of basil. If you are allergic to tomatoes and die for basil as a replacement in the winter, then this is for you to save money and have killer green pasta at vital moments. Forms the basis of many tapanade. This is your moment to respect leaves.
This year I bought three bucketfuls in Budapest for 20 euros or less (imagine that in your supermarket herb section, eh). You don’t want that which is overflowered. You want large and small leaved varieties with a minimum of flowering and seeds. I bought in total 40 bunches, each composed of about 2-4 entire plants. I bought from four different people and emptied the market for that day.
Prepare 3 liters of glassware/plasticware as this will seal and protect your investment from freezerburn and the general blasphemy of this idea.
150-200 grams pinenuts. Toast these lightly and be very careful not to waste them on a big flame.
1.5 liters olive oil of decent type.
1/2 cup good sea salt.
200-300 grams parmegano, grated at home.
Ground pepper to taste or not at all
Wash and plunge all the basil in the sink/tub. Wash three times at least to rid it of sand/dirt and pests.
Allow to dry overnight, roots in buckets.
Pick in the morning, preferably with your loved one, allowing for your thumb to get sore (three hours). Discard big flowers but keep some of the buds/flowers that have not formed seeds. Save all the best leaves.
You should have at least four heaped large 7 liter bowls of leaves as the result.
Borrow a blender or use your own.
To blend this enormous amount add a liberal cup to the bottom of the blender and start pureeing. With a spatula push, struggle, stir and generally integrate the leaves. You can add a cup of water too to help you. Liquidity is essential. Your blender might start smelling funny from the work. Each big bowl should yield a liter. You may salt as you blend. But not too fine. It does not have to be perfect as that’s part of the hand-madeness.
Your paste will oxidize quickly so everything else should be ready.
Add cheese, more oil, pine nuts (which should be crushed some in a pestle), remaining salt to taste.
Store it, preferably freezing it in plastic containers or jars.
Fantastico!
Apply to bread, pasta, lamb, steak at will. But be careful though not to poke through the plastic container or break the glass jars with your knife because it’s too frozen. It should thaw some, but not totally.
If you were a real squirrel and up for it, you could use beech nuts in place of the pine nuts. A real fiddle to do, but think of the organic snob appeal. Beech nut pesto!
I wouldn’t recommend making the below in such a giant quantity that is difficult to eat in one winter if not two. The approach is the same for smaller batches of four bunches basil, liberal cup olive oil, 100 gram pine nuts, pecorino and salt to taste, serving at least ten people.
In the last week of August, at a proper market, you should be able to buy substantial amounts of basil. If you are allergic to tomatoes and die for basil as a replacement in the winter, then this is for you to save money and have killer green pasta at vital moments. Forms the basis of many tapanade. This is your moment to respect leaves.
This year I bought three bucketfuls in Budapest for 20 euros or less (imagine that in your supermarket herb section, eh). You don’t want that which is overflowered. You want large and small leaved varieties with a minimum of flowering and seeds. I bought in total 40 bunches, each composed of about 2-4 entire plants. I bought from four different people and emptied the market for that day.
Prepare 3 liters of glassware/plasticware as this will seal and protect your investment from freezerburn and the general blasphemy of this idea.
150-200 grams pinenuts. Toast these lightly and be very careful not to waste them on a big flame.
1.5 liters olive oil of decent type.
1/2 cup good sea salt.
200-300 grams parmegano, grated at home.
Ground pepper to taste or not at all
Wash and plunge all the basil in the sink/tub. Wash three times at least to rid it of sand/dirt and pests.
Allow to dry overnight, roots in buckets.
Pick in the morning, preferably with your loved one, allowing for your thumb to get sore (three hours). Discard big flowers but keep some of the buds/flowers that have not formed seeds. Save all the best leaves.
You should have at least four heaped large 7 liter bowls of leaves as the result.
Borrow a blender or use your own.
To blend this enormous amount add a liberal cup to the bottom of the blender and start pureeing. With a spatula push, struggle, stir and generally integrate the leaves. You can add a cup of water too to help you. Liquidity is essential. Your blender might start smelling funny from the work. Each big bowl should yield a liter. You may salt as you blend. But not too fine. It does not have to be perfect as that’s part of the hand-madeness.
Your paste will oxidize quickly so everything else should be ready.
Add cheese, more oil, pine nuts (which should be crushed some in a pestle), remaining salt to taste.
Store it, preferably freezing it in plastic containers or jars.
Fantastico!
Apply to bread, pasta, lamb, steak at will. But be careful though not to poke through the plastic container or break the glass jars with your knife because it’s too frozen. It should thaw some, but not totally.
If you were a real squirrel and up for it, you could use beech nuts in place of the pine nuts. A real fiddle to do, but think of the organic snob appeal. Beech nut pesto!
No comments:
Post a Comment