I love basil. And when I enjoy something, I tend to overdo its availability. Rather than plant one plant every so often, I plant 4 or 5 at once. So hence, I have 4 very large basil plants that are growing vigorously. An earlier plant I let go to seed. We picked off the brown seeds and spread them in a bowl that now sits on the kitchen table. Every day, a little shake, and the seeds give off a wonderful aroma, almost lavender-like in its scent. I must admit though the bowl has been getting some strange looks as it looks very much like some sort of mind-altering substance that requires some burning. I do assure everyone that it is pure basil. Heady enough on its own power.
With basil leaves in abundance, I have created a variety of pestos over the last few weeks. This one is by far my favourite. Basil, rocket, feta, parmesan, pistachios, olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice and pepper and salt to taste. Simple, but very tasty. Uses are endless. Tossed through pasta, a salad or roasted vegetables; dip for crackers; spread on Turkish bread with roasted capsicum strips and toasted; a side for patties of choice……..and on and on.
basil feta & pistachio pesto
ingredients
fresh basil leaves (from 2 large bunches)
2 handfuls rocket (arugula leaves)
250g feta
¼ cup fresh, grated parmesan
approx. ¼ cup extra-virgin cold-pressed olive oil
2 Tbsp pistachio nuts
a good squeeze of lemon juice
fresh cracked black pepper
sea salt
a sprinkling of dried chilli seeds/flakes (optional)
preparation
1. Add ½ the basil, rocket, parmesan, olive oil and pistachios to a mini-processor (or a large one if suits) – process till all ingredients combined.
2. Add remaining basil leaves and extra oil if needed to blend smoothly – process again.
3. Add feta, lemon juice, pepper and salt – process again.
4. Taste and adjust ingredients to taste. Store in a sealed glass jar in the fridge.
Goodness shared from Donna
