Fresh Basil and Parsley Pesto

Before the snow came and it all got freezing cold, I had a look at my herb garden and thought I should not waste all that fresh stuff and make something out of them. I dried the peppermints and dried some of the sage to make some tea later on in the winter.  Then took out all of the parsley, rosemary and thyme. Basil has been inside the house in a pot for a while as it does not like the cold at all.  At least that is what I have learned after throwing away 4-5 pots of dried, dead basil in the past years.  Now the problem was what to do with all this. I always wanted to try making fresh pesto but I didn't have enough basil so this is what I've done.  A combination of parsley and basil. The pesto was delicious and we ended up eating it all within a couple of weeks.

Fresh Basil and Parsley Pesto

(Makes about 200-250gr)

1 cup of fresh basil

1 cup of fresh parsley

1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons of pine nuts

3 garlic cloves - peeled

salt and freshly milled pepper to taste

First, put the pine nuts in a food processor and run it for a few seconds until they are all crushed.  Next, add in the rest of the ingredients but leave out olive oil.  Pulse it a few times and then add the olive oil.  Pulse it couple of times more.  You may need to scrape down the sides with a spatula in between. 

Finally add some salt and pepper to taste. 

Best way to store pesto is in a closed jar.  If you need, add some more olive oil on top after you fill the jar with pesto. This helps to keep the pesto longer in the fridge. 

Pesto can be used in a lot of pasta dishes, as well as pizza and lasagne.  I definitely recommend to spread it on fresh bread and try it first. It's yummy. 

Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil

Here are a few things you can do by just getting up early.  By that I mean really early.  You can have a cup of tea in piece.  No kids running around.  You can also write in silence.  Not that I can write when the kids are around.  This really should be a habit for me.  So here is me writing about Bruschetta, which I really should when we have the opportunity to buy some fresh summer tomatoes and basil.  I've seen them made with a lot of different ingredients but for me the simple version is the best.  In some recipes they put onions in them too, which I don't prefer.  Garlic brings out the flavors of tomato and basil and goes really well with olive oil. In some recipes they skin the tomatoes and take the seeds out before making the bruschetta but I prefer the tomatoes unpeeled and with a lot of juice.  The juice moistens the bread with the garlic and olive oil very nicely.

Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil

(Makes about 6-8)

6-8 slices of baguette or Italian bread

3-4 tomatoes - diced

2 cloves of garlic - crushed

2-3 tablespoon of olive oil

1/2 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar

salt and freshly milled black pepper to taste

fresh basil leaves to garnish 

1. First chop the tomatoes and put them in a bowl.  Add in the crushed garlic, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  You can also add some chopped basil leaves if you prefer. Put some salt and pepper to taste and move on to next step to prepare your bread.  If you prepare the topping with tomatoes a little earlier than serving time, the flavors will blend a little bit better.

2. Now to prepare the bread, you have few options.  Just chose whatever suits you.  

You can simply toast the bread in a toaster, you can toast them in the oven with some olive oil brushed over the slices or you can toast them on a non-stick pan with a little bit of olive oil brushed on both sides.  I've certainly tried all and they all result very good, however if you're in a hurry then I suggest toasting them on a pan.  This way you get them done quickly but be careful not to burn the bread. 

3. Last part is to put the tomato topping on the bread slices.  Garnish them with fresh basil leaves and serve them slightly warm.  This is really a nice taste of summer.