There is nothing better than finding a great bunch of herbs at the market. It happens to us almost every week as the local Foodies market produce sellers just seem to grow the most spectacular herbs – must be something in the local water.
The hardest part about buying wonderfully fragrant herbs is figuring out how to keep them fresh for as long as possible. I’ve tried many tactics and the best I’ve found is wrapping the herb leaves in paper towel and then wrappining the whole bundle in a plastic bag. I would welcome some other herb saving ideas to try, so feel free to leave a comment about how you keep your herbs fresher in the fridge for longer.
A couple of weeks ago we found possibly the best bunch of basil I have ever seen (or smelt) at Ramsgate Organic Foodies Market (see right). I knew the moment we bought it that leaving it in the fridge for even once day would be sacrilege and so immediately had designs to turn it into the best basil pesto I’ve ever made.
Basil Pesto
Ingredients:
2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1/2 cup freshly grated Grana Padano cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts toasted
3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Combine the basil and toasted nuts in a food processor and pulse a few times in a food processor. Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.
Slowly add olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. After adding the oil turn the food processor off and scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and freshly ground salt and pepper to taste and pulse again until blended.
There are many ways to use pesto – stir through cooked pasta, use as a herb marinade, turn into a dip by adding ricotta, spread on a roll… the possibilities are endless!
Your basil pesto would be a good addition to my pesto recipes. I usually store herbs in the fridge by washing and drying before they go in, cut off the ends. Then put in a glass of water like flowers. =)
Really? Pesto is that easy to make? Say bye bye to those pesto jars fromt he supermarket….
Thanks for your comment Raquel – and also your herb storing tip!
It really is that easy Tina – and it tastes so much better than store bought pesto. You can also try making pesto out of different types herbs and adding a variety of toasted nuts.
I have found that rocket that I pick from my garden keeps best if it is washed, spun and then put into a generous plastic container with a lid, first lining the base of it with a double layer of paper towels slightly damped. I can keep my rocket up to two weeks if need be stored in this manner. I have also done this with thyme, parsley. Basil is possibly more delicate than rocket so I would think that it could also be stored in this way.
Your blog is great Amanda
Thanks Josie! Your herb tip is great – I need to get myself a salad spinner and try your method. I still get large bunches of continental parsley, finely chop and freeze like you taught me all those years ago!
Sounds easy to make! ..am gonna try this soon
It's very easy – and once you have tried the basil and pine nuts, you can try other herb and nut combinations!
So easy! You can also add in spinach to the mix, which is wonderful with walnuts! Gives it a little added "green"!