It’s a sad summer for my garden. What was once a treasure trove of colorful vegetables and herbs in the past has been reduced to a very small lot with only tomatoes, basil and kale.
I knew I wasn’t going to be around as much this summer tend to the garden so I strategically only bought the produce and herbs I knew I’d be using!
Whether you’ve got a garden that’s big or small, there’s no better feeling than to be able to pick fresh from your garden and then to use your yield in a recipe. Thank god I wised up and learned a few year’s ago that making homemade pesto is actually easy and a lot cheaper than any store-bought variety.
I now make about one full Ball jar of pesto a week to keep up with the rapidly growing basil plant. These jars line my freezer shelves like trophies. We’ve been enjoying pesto on everything from scrambled eggs to grilled chicken to grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches. It’s like the gift that keeps on giving.
Once I got comfortable with making traditional pesto, I started getting adventurous with variations. Another family favorite is Tomato, Almond Pesto.
The tomatoes and almonds add a subtle fruity flavor and slight crunch to the pesto base. It’s the perfect compliment to steaks and I can’t wait to use the left overs again and again and again (this sauce freezes WELL too).
While my son still says he prefers the plain pesto, surprisingly, my finicky husband LOVED the sauce. That’s worth more than anything.
- 4 plum tomatoes, quartered
- ¾ cup slivered almonds
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large handful basil, washed
- 2 cloves garlic
- Toast the almonds in a little bit of olive oil and cool.
- Place them in a food processor and pulse until the size of orzo pasta. Place the almonds in a bowl and set aside.
- Place the basil, garlic, and salt n the food processor. Give it a quick blend.
- Add the almonds, quartered tomatoes and cheese.
- Turn on the food processor and add the olive oil in a steady stream. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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