Growing a garden can be so much fun, it can also be a time consuming backbreaking job. Our solution: Container Gardens! It’s the perfect choice for the inexperienced gardener or just someone who doesn’t want the chore of keeping up with a huge garden. For me it’s the perfect choice because I’m not really the “outside” type. I don’t like dirt or bugs but I do like fresh veggies. I keep my containers close to the house in hopes of keeping the deer away (it doesn’t always work). This year I’ve opted to only plant basil and herbs since we joined a farm co-op for our fresh veggies. Last year I planted tomatoes and zucchini in my containers and they did great until the deer ate them! =(
We love pesto so I plant a lot of basil. This year I planted four medium containers with two sweet basil plants in each. I also planted flat leaf parsley, cilantro and mint in small containers. I use pretty much all my basil for pesto. I make big batches through out the summer and freeze them for us to enjoy all year long. Here’s my recipe.
4 cups fresh basil leaves (stemmed and cleaned)
1 -11/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
¾ cup Walnuts
5 cloves of garlic
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
Pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in a food process or blender. Puree until smooth. Separate into containers or freezer bags. To use, thaw on counter and enjoy over pasta or as a sauce on meets, chicken and sandwiches. I add back pepper when I am ready to use, if you add it before it will lose its flavor in the freezer. I adjust the recipe to taste as I am making it. Lately, I’ve been adding a few ounces of softened cream cheese to my thawed pesto, toss with cooked pasta and top with fresh grated cheese. It’s simply amazing! ENJOY!
*You could also add Spinach to the Basil leaves for added vitamins.
**I use whole-wheat pasta with my pesto sauce. I don’t usually like the taste of whole-wheat pasta but you can’t taste the difference in this dish!
