Fresh Pesto...

While it was a tad too warm to can anything yesterday, the weather was perfectly conducive to putting up a little pesto.

I don't use a pressure canner (yet), so pesto is frozen to preserve it here at the farmhouse. That is, unless a fresh batch will be used rather soon. It can also be kept in the refrigerator, as long as the pesto is covered with a layer of olive oil. Otherwise, the basil turns an unappetizing black color.

I have a pot of healthy, sweet basil growing right outside the front door, so I harvested four cups and brought it into the kitchen. Once rinsed, drained and dried, it was ready to turn into two batches of fresh pesto.

I use silicone freezing trays with covers that I purchased from Pampered Chef (my sister is a rep for the company), but you could also use any compartmented silicone tray or ice cube tray. Once the pesto pieces are frozen, I pop them into a plastic bag and vacuum-seal them for the freezer. I usually put one tray per package, and then I have just the right amount for whichever recipe I'll be using. 

Most often, I stir pesto into freshly cooked penne pasta with sauteed mushrooms, peppers, and tomatoes. I also spread it onto our homemade pizzas, or onto homemade, toasted French bread slices. Top with more pine nuts and shredded parmesan cheese for a nice finish.

This is the recipe I've used since we moved into the farmhouse. Can you believe we purchased our grand lady seven years ago in September? Time flies!

I have lemon balm that's just waiting to become jelly, so I may do that today. It's only supposed to get into the mid-70s today, so I can heat up the water bath canner without cooking us out of the house.

You may have noticed that I haven't shared updated photographs with you for my Everlasting quilt. Truthfully, I didn't do anything with it all weekend, except bring it downstairs so I could work on it. I just didn't, opting to spend more time outside instead. Maybe later today...