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BASIL PESTO

BASIL PESTO

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The quantity that this recipe gives can easily be doubled or tripled.

1 cup/250 ml (tightly packed) fresh basil leaves
1 garlic clove
25g/1 oz pine nuts, toasted
½ cup/125ml olive oil
4 tablespoons/60 ml Pecorino cheese, freshly grated
4 tablespoons/60 ml Parmesan, freshly grated
salt to taste
½ teaspoon/3 ml lemon juice

  • Put the basil, garlic, pine nuts and Pecorino cheese in an electric mixer and blend very briefly until you have a rough consistency.
  • Then slowly add the olive oil, checking regularly whether it is the consistency you want.
  • Keep on adding oil until you are satisfied. When the sauce has reached the consistency you want, add the Parmesan cheese, stir in well and check the seasoning.
The amount of salt depends on the piquancy of the Pecorino used.
  • Store in a jar with a tight-fitting lid in the refrigerator for about 3 days.

By STELLA

I have had no formal chef’s training. Classical piano was my parents’ choice, and that took care of the first 20 years of my life. Journalism and radio followed (my own choices, this time), and these opened many doors for me into different countries, people, cultures — and, of course, foods. In a six week series on radio I used it as a platform for my love of food and shared lots of interesting recipes and food news with listeners.
My earliest memories of food come from the family kitchen at home; I can still remember the wonderful smells of the dishes my mother prepared. I became aware of the flavors of her creations at an early age. Some I enjoyed and preferred, while others depressed me with their lack of interesting flavors. My mother was a good cook, but not a gourmet, and sadly this often showed. What I did appreciate was that she always involved me in the preparation, sharing her knowledge of nutrition, flavor, color, and the harmonies of each plate she dished up. She was also a genius with leftovers and quick meals when unexpected guests arrived. This is one of the things that stands out in my mind, and it inspired me to create wonderful dishes from leftover foods myself.

I carried on with the tradition of carefully planning meals to combine nutrition, color and flavor, while at the same time offering variety and elegant presentation. In the process, I developed a passion for seeking out the best available products, adhering to each season’s offerings, and treating it with the respect it deserves, which eventually became part of my daily culinary life and travels. I did these things not because I wanted to become a chef, but to satisfy myself, family and friends with creations of gorgeous food and exciting flavors. All of which, I hope, is reflected in this blog.