I’m officially obsessed with pesto! It is one of my favorite things to make, is packed with nutrients, and literally tastes good on everything. I begin the summer each year by making (and freezing) as much garlic scape pesto as possible, and then proceed to spend the summer making batches with all the other herbs I grow on my roof deck or find at the market. While we’ve been traveling I haven’t been making my own pesto (alas, my food processor didn’t fit in my suitcase), but I’ve still been eating quite a bit of it. It’s an easy healthy option that’s available at most grocery stores and, as mentioned before, is amazingly versatile.
This recipe is actually from my kitchen back in Boston before we left on The Big Trip, but I’ve been thinking about it recently given all the fresh herbs in season right now. Instead of making traditional basil pesto, I combined basil, parsley, and cilantro for a three herb pesto, and the results were outstanding.
Three Herb Pesto Ingredients
1 bunch of basil
1 bunch of parsley
1 bunch of cilantro
5 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup of grated parmesan
1/4 cup of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in the food processor and blend until they reach a thick, creamy consistency. Feel free to add more oil if needed to get the right texture.
As I’ve discussed before, pesto is really a terrific herb delivery vehicle. When you look at levels of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants per bite herbs are total rock stars. Most people don’t typically sit down to eat an entire meal of herbs (although I often make parsley salads), so pestos are one of the best ways to boost your intake.
One particularly nutritious way to enjoy pesto is slathered on fresh summer vegetables. In this case, I boiled new red potatoes and steamed fresh green beans. I tossed them together with a hefty serving of pesto and ate them hot. Fresh, healthy, and delicious!
Zoe- great post. I’ve enjoyed following you on your grand adventure.
i have a bunch of questions- How do you freeze your pesto? How long does it keep fresh in the fridge? How do you keep it from browning? I’ve seen recipes that recommend not adding the cheese before you freeze it and adding cheese after thawing. What’s up with that? Hope all is well.
Diane
Hi Diane – glad to hear you’re thinking about preserving pesto! I usually keep mine in the fridge for two weeks and find that it gets brown on the top, but is fine underneath. Once you mix it up to use it again you don’t even notice the brown spots (and they are totally fine to eat). For freezing I put my pesto into small plastic containers or glass jam jars and freeze for up to two years. I like keeping them in small containers so I can easily defrost them in a bowl of warm water. I write on the outside of the containers what type of pesto it is and the date I froze it to keep everything straight. I always freeze mine with cheese and haven’t had any problem, but I’m sure you could try it both ways and do a taste test 🙂
I also freeze straight pureed fresh basil in olive oil in ice cube trays to use when I want a dash of fresh flavor in a dish. They are great for tossing into soups, stews, and sauces.
Let me know how your pesto turns out!
Very similar to a recipe I have made for years, Zoe, but yours has more garlic.
I also freeze my pesto every year, usually in plastic pint containers. One tip I received many years ago was to coat the top with olive oil to reduce the drying effect that freezing has on vegetables.
Another recipe I use for pesto uses Thai Basil and a few tiny hot peppers… Yummy with a bite!