Pesto
Every year, at the end of August or the beginning of September, my family harvests the final crop of basil from our garden. We then spend hours in the kitchen making batch after batch of pesto. We freeze it, so all winter long we have access to fresh pesto, which makes for super easy dinners! If you don't have a garden, go to a local farmers market in late August or Early September and buy a bunch of basil for pesto. Not only is it much cheaper than the store bought stuff sold in plastic containers in the winter, but it is more sustainable!
2 ½ cups basil, rinsed and dried
2 cloves of garlic
1 ½ tsp salt
½ cup olive oil
2 heaping tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds, walnuts, or almonds
1 oz pecorino or parmesan cheese, chopped (Don't add cheese if you plan on freezing your pesto.)
Process everything in a food processor until smooth. Serve on toast, pizza, or pasta, in soup or sandwiches, or with fresh tomatoes.