YES TO PESTO!!

For me -- food is love.  And certain dishes are always associated with certain events.  In this house, Pesto is every July 8th.  Elliott's Birthday.  It's our first picking of basil...and I always, always make Pesto on that day.

I pride myself on making the best Pesto in Iowa. (I say that in confidence, because I'm the only Iowa person I know who makes it)...

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First order of business -- pick the FRESH BASIL LEAVES.  I take it out on the porch, fill a bucket with water, and pick off each leaf, putting it in the bucket of water.  I lift the leaves out of the first bucket, and place them in a second bucket of clean water.  Just to be safe, rinse the leaves for a THIRD TIME...before laying them out in a single layer, on a clean bath towel.

It's important to remove all sand or dirt..and pick off the flowers and stems...you want THE LEAVES ONLY.

You must handle the leaves gently, or they'll turn black. At this point, I roll the towel, to absorb all the water. I let that sit for awhile. An hour or two won't hurt...

THAT'S THE HARD PART, PEOPLE!! Really. Picking and triple washing the basil leaves takes ABOUT THREE HOURS. Making the actual pesto sauce will take less than 30 minutes.

I know we've discussed this before. But your FOOD PROCESSOR does all the work!!

John has a bumper crop of fresh garlic It is SO MUCH BETTER than what is available in the stores. It's juicy and CRISP. I start by putting 3-4 cloves of peeled garlic in the food processor and whirring it good...

Then, I add 1/2 cup of English Walnuts...and whir it again...

At this point, I scrape the sides (it is a thick paste). Then, fill the food processor to the top with fresh, washed, dry basil leaves. Keep whirring...and scraping...and whirring...

After the basil is completely chopped up, I alternate the last two ingredients: Extra Virgin Olive oil and Parmesan Cheese. One batch takes about a cup of each. The consistency you're going for is bottled spaghetti sauce.

This giant jar of Pesto will be enough for four pounds of spaghetti.  All you need is a delicious loaf of Italian bread. YUMMO...

One of the best things about Pesto sauce is that it's better the day AFTER you make it. And it will keep at room temperature.   (Actually, putting it in the refrigerator makes the oil hard, and blackens the basil.)