Time for Pesto!

Here are some basil tips and recipes for ya. Enjoy!

It is Labor Day weekend and like most of you, my basil is desperately trying to go to seed. It is time to reap the harvest. The sad fact is that no matter how hard you try to sell me on your preservation tricks, I have tried them all. My conclusion is that dried basil sucks and basil preserved in oil or in ice cube trays is only so-so and not worth the fuss. I keep some plants going in rotation all winter under a kitchen grow light and you can buy fresh basil for a couple of bucks in winter so why compromise.

So WTF do I do with all this basil?

Easy. Process it into pesto, and if you keep a thin layer of olive oil over it, it will last in the fridge for weeks, maybe even months.

Pesto is one of the most versatile condiments you can make. 

Sure, it is obviously delicious on pasta but it has many more uses. 

I love to make salads, pasta salad and rice salad are obvious, but try it tossed with cooked green or wax beans, cooked little potatoes and of course cherry tomatoes with or without mozzarella ciliegine. 

Pesto is amazing mixed with good quality mayo for a spread on sandwiches.

It’s also really good on avocado toast for breakfast. But one of favorite things to do with pesto is to use it like a BBQ Sauce. Huh? Yep. Especially with fish, shrimp and chicken. Whether you grill or bake, spooning and smearing pesto on protein is so good. It brightens the flavor and cuts the fat.

Here is a simple recipe for you.

Pesto Roasted Cod with Butter Bean Stew 

This is an example of how Pesto can enliven a one pan fish dinner. 

Start with my Basic Pesto Recipe

Serves 4

24-32 oz Alaskan cod filet*, cut into 8 chunks