There’s no basil like home’s: Pesto recipe

LOCAVORE’S DELIGHT: The Series # 7.

Follow us all summer long as we explore the bounty of our region’s farms.

by MOLLY MCGINN

If you really want the best, freshest basil, grow your own. It’s one of the easiest herbs to grow from seed and you can plant it almost anytime in the summer.

Many basil lovers already have bunches growing in their home gardens. But if you’re a locavore newcomer, or simply new to the garden game, you can always learn a thing or two from the Edible Schoolyard. And, we have a few quick garden tips to help you get going.

Lucky 32 Southern Kitchen’s Pesto Sauce

  • 3 ½ oz fresh basil leaves
  • ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 ½ tsp minced garlic
  • 1/3 cup grated Reggiano Parmesan cheese
  • ½ tsp fresh lemon juice

Pick basil leaves from stems and place in a blender. Add oil and garlic; blend well. While continuing to blend, add cheese and lemon juice. Blend until no lumps are present.  Makes – 1 1/3 cups.

Simple materials to grow your own basil from seed

Lucky 32’s new gardner tips

Materials

  • Basil seeds (we picked up this pack from 5th Season Garden Co. on Battleground Ave.)
  • One bottom plate of a terra cotta pot, small or large
  • Fresh soil
  • Water
  • Sunlight

Procedures

Remove the top of the terra cotta pot. You just want to use the bottom plate for this starter garden. Fill the terra cotta pot with soil. Sprinkle in the basil seeds and cover with a little dirt. Water gently. Set in the sun.

Tips: You don’t want to the sprouts to grow too close together, so I spread them apart, take some out and replant them around my house. Pinch the flowers off the leaf. You don’t want basil seeds, you only want the leaves to grow.

In 45 days, see the above recipe, and enjoy!

For more about our seasonal recipes, see our current menu at Lucky 32 Southern Kitchen and our Blog Recipe Index:http://lucky32southernkitchen.com/recipes/

 

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