Homemade pesto being applied to biscuits as part of a bruschetta-style topping for a lazy Sunday breakfast (photo by Kenn Stearns)

This tome on pesto is a logical follow-on to yesterday’s entry on basil.  Pesto is derived from the same Latin root of “pestle” – a pestle also is like a small bat with an end used for crushing and grinding. At its core, pesto includes crushed herbs and garlic. Basil is a popular herb used in pesto. Pesto can also include pine nuts, almonds, and cheese. Whew.

Pesto

This recipe will yield about 4 cups of pesto. It can be doubled or halved.

• 4 cups basil leaves, packed
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed lightly and peeled
• 1 cup pine nuts, walnuts, or almonds
• 1½ cups freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino cheese
• 1½ cups extra-virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Put basil leaves and garlic in a blender or food processor and blend until leaves are finely chopped. Add nuts and blend some more until the nuts are finely chopped. Add cheese and blend everything is combined. While the appliance is running, slowly add the olive oil in a steady drizzle. Add more or less oil to obtain the desired consistency (thicker or thinner). After the oil is blended in, turn off the appliance, and then add salt and pepper to taste.

Pesto can be refrigerated for a week or more. Use an air-tight container and add a thin coat of olive oil on top to keep the pesto from turning dark. Pesto can be frozen put don’t add the cheese. My spousal unit divides batches into small jars (top right in photo above) and refrigerates. She uses pesto for bruschetta, adds light cream with it for pesto sauce on pizza, pasta salad with a little mayonnaise, on tomatoes with fresh mozzarella, smear on bread for turkey sandwiches, and her latest discovery putting pesto in won tons and dropping them into spring soup.

Spring Soup with Pesto Won Tons

by Jamie Davies, Schramsberg Co-Founder

• 8 cups chicken stock
• 8 petite carrots or regular carrots cut on long diagonals
• 1 cup green beans cut in diagonal pieces
• 1 cup asparagus cut in diagonal pieces
• 1 cup small green peas
• 1 cup finely shredded green cabbage
• 1 cup scallions cut in diagonal pieces
• 1 cup mushrooms quartered
• 1 cup spinach leaves cut in ribbons
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dry dill
• 1 package won ton skins (12)
• 12 teaspoons pesto
• 1 egg yolk stirred with a fork

Pesto Won Ton

Place 1 teaspoon pesto on each won ton skin.

Pat a dot of egg yolk in a corner as “glue.” Fold into a triangle shape.

Dot egg yolk on outer corner. Bring points around and press one on top of the other.

Soup

Bring chicken stock to a simmer in a large pot.

Add each vegetable in order given above, allowing broth to come to a simmer again after each addition.

Add pesto-filled won tons and cook gently until they are tender, about 6-8 minutes.

Serve in warmed soup plates. Serves 12.

Bon appétit!