Pesto For Aliens.

I have been inspired to cook a lot more since our return from holiday.  Admittedly part of that inspiration has come from the fact that we originally intended to have a small BBQ on Saturday night that somehow seems to have swollen into a substantial but hopefully casual dinner party.  So I have been working away in the kitchen getting myself organised.

My vegie patch didn't fare well over January but one thing I did come home to was a glut of basil.  I love basil.  Even the smell on my hands after picking it makes me happy.  All summery and gorgeous.  Anyway I decided the vast amounts of basil I had accumulated, combined with this post over at Babymac,  meant that the Cooking Gods were directing me to make pesto.  So I dusted off the food processor and got amongst it.  Interestingly my recipe for pesto is very similar to Beth's, except I use cashews.  Have done for years, mainly as my Mum is very allergic to pine nuts although to be perfectly honest I am not the biggest pine nut fan in the world anyway.  I think I over dosed in the early nineties when every Perth cafe threw copious handfuls of pinenuts into everything.  (I guess something had to add some crunch to all those sun-dried tomatoes....)

To be honest there isn't really a recipe.  I just sort of make it like this.

Grab a big bunch of basil.  If you grew it yourself give yourself a smug pat on the back as you feel all clever and Maggie Beer-like.

Here's mine.

Just Call Me Maggie

I then pick the leaves and throw them in the food processor with a few decent hunks of parmesan, salt and pepper, a clove of garlic and a good handful of cashews.

Look.

Under Basiled

After I took this photo I decided there wasn't enough basil in there so threw in another handful or so.  Then I just whizzed the whole lot up and drizzled enough olive oil in at the end to make it loose enough to go through pasta as this is my plan as a side dish for Saturday night's soiree.

See - just like this.

Pesto

So yummy.  Although my smug Maggie Beer bubble was burst immediately by Farmboy coming in and saying

"What have you made Mum? It looks like alien puke."

Thanks for that.

PS - Have still got a few more New York posts to go but thought I would space it out a wee bit.