Basil is an easy herb to grow in your garden, but when you see the plant start to flower, it’s time to start thinking of ways to use it up. If you plant more than one, chances are you’ll find yourself with more basil than you know what to do with. You can always give some away to friends and neighbors, but making pesto is a great way to use up your basil and keep some for later.
It is fairly simple to make pesto. Just strip about 2 cups of leaves from the plant. Rinse the leaves, and put them in a food processor or blender. You can add in a couple cloves of garlic (depending on your taste preferences), a bit of lemon juice- about a teaspoon, 1/4 cup of pine nuts and some grated parmesan or pecorino cheese. Coarsely chop the ingredients in the food processor then add in about 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil. If you’d like a thinner consistency add more olive oil. Blend until the mixture is smooth.
When you store your pesto in the refridgerator or freezer, make sure you add extra olive oil to the top of the jar so that all the leaves are submerged in olive oil. This prevents the pesto from browning. Now you can enjoy your gorgeous basil long after your plants are gone. So just scale this recipe based on how much basil you need to use up.