Pesto. Pesto, Pesto!

This was my very first attempt in making basil pesto or any type of pesto sauce.  I searched online and found a basic pesto recipe and freezing instructions.  I found the recipe at Simply Recipes, http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/fresh_basil_pesto/.

Fresh Basil Pesto Recipe

• Prep time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
• 3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• Special equipment needed: A food processor (Check Amazon.com's sales on Cuisinart food processors)

Method

1 Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.
2 Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Serve with pasta, or over baked potatoes, or spread over toasted baguette slices.
Yield: Makes 1 cup.

I do not own a food processor so I used my Magic Bullet (MB) when mixing together the ingredients.  I love using the MB since it can whip up most food processing recipes.  To prepare for the mixing, I picked the basil and washed it.  Then I added all of the ingredients into the cup.  The MB comes with a small or large cup and the blades screw on like a lid.  I used the large cup since I had 1 1/2 cups of basil.  I followed the measurements for each ingredient above except for two.  I included 9 garlic cloves and used a 1/2 cup less of basil.  I love garlic and knew I would be adding in more garlic while mixing and taste testing.  I also omitted salt from the recipe.  Once all of the ingredients were in the cup, I screwed on the lid and placed the cup on the MB motor.  I pressed down a few times in a row and then held down the cup for 10-20 seconds.  I removed the cup, unscrewed the lid and scraped the sides of the cup.  Even though the MB purees the ingredients I wanted to make doubly sure that all of the ingredients were mixed up nicely.  I repeated the mixing and scraping a few times until I reached a vibrant light green color.

It was recommended that I use ice cube trays to freeze any unused pesto.  I do not own any ice cube trays so I used a popsicle trays instead.  I lined each popsicle slot with clear food wrap.  I then spooned in the pesto.  I have placed the popsicle tray in the freezer.  Once all of the pesto is frozen I will remove the pesto cubes from the tray and place them into a freezer bag.  As for the freshly made pesto, I decided to toss the 6 tablespoons of sauce with pasta, freshly grated Parmesan cheese and whole pine nuts.  I will be taking the pasta to a picnic tomorrow.  I hope everyone likes it!

Sprouts and ginormous leaves

French Breakfast Radish

The warmth has helped much of the garden grow in a variety of ways.  The radish seeds have sprouted and will be ready to pick before you know it.  As I pick the radish I will begin to replant sections for a continual harvest.   The corn is growing taller each day.  My father recently pulled all of the suckers, also known as tillers, off of each corn stalk.  When corn grows you will notice a few shoots coming out of the base of the corn stalk.  Those are suckers/tillers.  There is much debate on the internet as to the need to remove the suckers.  I first heard about corn suckers when my father mentioned that the suckers needed to be removed.  I find it amusing that most of the stories I have read online start that very same way, "I remember my father saying..."  However, I have read that removing the suckers will not change the outcome of the harvest.  Either way, I am still looking forward to biting into that first ear of sweet corn.  Nom nom!!

Cucumber (left), sweet corn (back) and Zucchini (right)

The cucumber and zucchinni plants are also doing very well.  Both plants have lots of flowers and are beginning to produce fruit.  There have been numerous harvest of squash and sage.  The only plants I am worried about are the two eggplants.  Our kitty Mooch decided that he wanted to wrestle with the eggplants.  I came out one morning to find one eggplant laying down in the dirt horizontally.   Luckily the stalk of the plant did not snap and break but most of the leaves are brown and crumble when touched.  Between Mooch and the cold weather a few weeks ago I am afraid the plants will not make it.

Tomato plant from saved seed

On a positive note, it has been decided that the victory garden will keep one of the saved seed tomato plants.  Technically, the plant seed came from the compost pile.  My family likes to compost our food scraps.  In previous years the victory garden included over 10 tomato plants.  With that many tomatoes my family would find ourselves seeding and peeling bags full of tomatoes.  Most of the scraps would be thrown into the compost.  The next year when the ground is soft and the compost has been spread volunteer tomato plants start popping up every where.  I pull up most of the volunteer tomato plants but this year the garden is going to include one more tomato plant.  Lets just hope it will produce fruit.

With the sun comes growth and new life.

Recently, I have traveled and explored new lands.  When I came back I found the victory garden lush and full of life.  The corn measures over 6 inches in height and the squash leaves are over 7 inches wide.  The herb garden is living large with long vibrant green chives reaching for the sky and 10 medium sized pepperoncini peppers dangling to the ground.

Herb Row

My family picked the lettuce while I was riding horses south of the border.  Upon my return I replanted the area with French Breakfast radishes.  They should sprout quickly and will be in our salads and stir-fry dishes soon.  Nom nom!  In addition to the lettuce I have harvested 6 small squash, one small pepperoncini pepper and a handful of basil and sage.  There is a variety of fruit lining the rows of the victory garden.  Stay tuned for a variety of images featuring the labors of the garden!

Squash and Bitter Melon

Rain, rain, go away... come again another day...

Juliet tomato is producing :)

Winter weather in late May and early June?!?  The cold wet weather has yet again proven to be good and bad for the victory garden.  The asparagus beans are struggling to keep their leaves warm.  I am not sure how many will make it.  The green beans and corn are growing but I have only seen a few sprouts from my re-seeding efforts a few weeks ago.  I have seen a handful of flowers blossom and a few items of fruit but I have also found wilted and fallen leaves.  I am keeping my fingers crossed and hope that the cold weather and severe weather warning in my area passes soon.

Yellow Squash

On a positive note, I have taken advantage of the cool weather and finished a major part of the landscaping.  The first step was completing the retaining wall.  The second step is to lay the cobble stones between the wall and the west side of the grass.  I have laid the stones and will lay a bit of sod to fill in the 2-3 inch dirt gap between the grass and the stones.  In addition, the lettuce has undergone two harvests!  There are still lots of leaves to pick and eat.  The strawberry patch is doing fantastic but we had a battle with the vicious prodigious coils of the gastropods.  The ongoing battled with these immense creatures has been tough but so far the score reads, Morrison Victory Garden 3: Gastropods 0.  First, the basil  has doubled in size and second the banana pepper plant is producing peppers.  I am happy to report that the strawberries have come out victorious from an invasion of the gastropods too.  The garden is coming along but I cannot wait to see the growth of the corn, tomatoes and watermelon in the hot summer sun.

Lettuce Row