Hey Pesto! A job swap.

Now you know I am usually the gardener and animal wrangler around here.  The Cook does all the, er...cooking...funny that.  Anyway we made a deal today that if she did a job that needed doing outside,  then I would cook dinner.

I made a quick trip out to the veggie garden for some tomatoes and the potager for basil, thyme and parsley.  I cooked up some spaghetti and tossed it all together with some pesto the Cook had prepared earlier (recipe below).  I sprinkled a little parmesan and ta da.....

It tasted like Summer!

The interesting thing about the pesto is that we have found that it freezes quite well.  

The Cook puts enough for a serving into some plastic wrap.  

Last year we had pesto right into Winter.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of torn basil leaves
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Well if you are a traditionalist you would use a mortar and pestle but a blender/food processor works well too.
Start with the basil and garlic and blend till combined.  Add pine nuts, then gradually add oil and pulse to form a paste.  You can leave it a little chunky or make it smoother if you prefer.  Stir in parmesan and season.  It is best to leave it for a few hours for the flavours develop.

The recipe says to store in an airtight container with a little olive oil on top before sealing the lid.  It will keep in the refrigerator for a few days...or you can freeze it!

And, you are asking, what did The Cook do?

She donned a pair of chaps, a jaunty helmet, a face mask and some ear muffs....... and she cut up a couple of trees in the front yard that fell down in June.

 This, my friends, is all the more astounding because she won't even use the electric knife in the kitchen. 

But then I suppose she hasn't done an electric knife course at the Community House.

.............................