I love my shares. They can be costly, but they are worth every penny. We participate in five shares, four of which are weekly. Each Thursday, we pick up a large bag of fruit and vegetables from a variety of local farms, a dozen or so eggs from a local hatchery, and milk, yogurt, and cheese from a dairy nearby. Every other month, we get a box of meats from a number of different butchers and slaughterhouses in the area, specializing in minimally processed and good for you local meats.
July and August keep me busy. The bags are stuffed with produce, and the selection of greens can sometimes feel overwhelming. To keep on top of my game, and ensure that nothing goes to waste, I head to the library every other week to check out new recipe books, searching for creative and time-saving recipes for these ingredients. I also try to keep up to date on blogs and recipe sites that update their posts with what's in season in our region of the country.
The basil almost stumped me. Last week, I picked up what quite possibly could be called the largest bunch of basil picked on one stem in the history of mankind. It was enormous. Immediately, my brain said, "get out of food processor, woman, and make some pesto!" Pesto freezes well in small portions, and it can be added to soups, pastas, and other recipes all year long.
Except pesto uses nuts. NUTS!
Could I make the pesto without the nuts? Could I simply disregard the nuts, not have to replace them with anything, and have a tasty pesto?
YES.
You need:
1 large bunch of basil, washed well and leaves torn from the stems
1/3 c. Parmesan cheese
1/4 c. olive oil
2 large cloves of garlic, crushed
1/2 lemon, squeezed of its juice
Add everything to your food processor, pulse until smooth, and enjoy. If your large bunch of basil is like mine was, triple this recipe. I froze mine into 1/4 c. portions.
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