Summer Personified

This time of year, beautiful tomatoes are in everything. This was part of our weekend breakfast: eggs over easy on buttered toast with drippy slices of fresh tomato from the garden and a couple of basil leaves. Now that I've made pesto again, we'll spread the toast with the green paste before the egg goes on and then top it with the tomato. I can't give you an exact recipe for pesto, because I've never used one, but here is how I make it:

Basil Pesto
Ingredients
6 garlic cloves
Approximately half a bag or 4 oz of pinenuts
(though you can use almost any kind of nut and it turns out just fine)
Basil- 2 bunches or as much as you have
Parmesan cheese
Olive oil
Salt- just a pinch

Tools
Food processor

Method
1. Peel garlic, place in food processor, spin until all of the garlic is stuck to the sides
2. Add nuts, spin until there are no more big chunks
3. Add basil, filling the bowl. If you have lots, you may need to do this more than once.
4. Pulse several times to get the leaves to start falling into the blade zone at the bottom.
5. While you are doing this, drizzle olive oil into the top of the processor slowly. The basil will start to incorporate into the nut/garlic mixture. Continue until you've blended in all of your basil leaves and you have a wet paste.
6. Add some cheese, blend, then check your savory balance. If the cheese wasn't salty enough, add more cheese, or if it is already thick enough, a little salt.
7. Use your spatula to spoon into small air-tight containers and freeze for long-term use or refrigerate for short term use.

Note: this pesto is not "blanched" meaning the basil is not put into boiling water and then pressed dry before blending. What this means is that it will only be vibrant green when first opened. I don't recommend using it on pasta unless you don't mind it turning brown. Better on tomato sandwiches, salads and cold dishes, or stirred into winter soups. If you want to serve on pasta or gnocchi and keep that vibrant color, you will have to blanch the basil. If you open a container in the fridge, press plastic wrap down on the surface or pour a little extra olive oil over the top to keep the air out.