For anyone interested here is my recipe for fresh pesto sauce. I first made pesto from the leaves of a supermarket basil plant that I had grown to 2.5ft (75cm) high in around 6 weeks (during an unusually hot Scottish summer!). The recipe below makes enough pesto for around 8 people which is not bad value from an initial spend of ~50p (90 cents)on the basil. It will freeze ok. 100g fresh basil leaves 20g sea salt 50g pine nuts 4 (or 6!) cloves of garlic 110g Parmesan cheese 250ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil You could blend all the ingredients in a food processor but using a mortar and pestle is the more authentic way. Grind the basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic and sea salt in the mortar until you see a pulp begin to form. Add the Parmesan cheese a little at a time until a thick paste has been formed. Now pour in the oil a little at a time and work with the pestle until it has all been absorbed. Serve with your favourite pasta, fresh bread or even boiled new potatos (and a fine Italian white wine!). You might even want to experiment by swapping the pine nuts with pistacchio nuts. Chris
