Have to love summer food. Starting to get excited about the fact that it’s almost time to make pesto. Copious amounts of pesto! It freezes really well and will be around long after summer is a memory.  I add pesto to more things than I can count. One spur of the moment addition has become a staple around here. I added a few tablespoons of pesto to the broth for steaming clams.

One comment that night was that the broth was so good, that you didn’t need the melted butter. That sounds like a bonus to me.

Pesto

1/2 C walnuts (or pine nuts)
1 1/2 TBS chopped garlic
4 C basil leaves
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper
1/2 C olive oil
1/2 C Parmesan cheese

1. Using a food processor with the steel blade in place, process the walnuts and garlic for a few seconds until smooth.
2. Add the basil, salt and freshly ground pepper.
3. Slowly pour the olive oil through the feed tube while the machine is running until the pesto is smooth.
4. Add the Parmesan cheese and process for a few more seconds until everything is combined.

Really good tip: Divide the pesto into the sections of an ice cube tray. Pop the tray in the freezer. When the pesto is frozen, decant the pesto “cubes” and put them in a plastic bag in your freezer. They will keep for months and be ready to add flavor to soups, stews, sauces, and even clam broth.

Happy summer!