Pesto instead of Tomatoes...

This year I decided to have a raised garden that would be much smaller than previous years and much easier to manage.  With my husband's help, I bought some railroad ties and a load of garden soil and got to planting.  I put in tomatoes, peppers, rosemary, basil and Italian parsley.  After several weeks the only healthy, thriving plants are the basil.  Since I love basil, I'm trying not to be sad.  I really had my heart set on some delicious home-grown tomatoes.  Everything else was just extra.

Now I have decided that there needs to be more dirt in my soil and I am digging up the tomatoes and putting in some enriched dirt.  I'm sure Central Market has some wonderful fresh tomatoes I could buy and it wouldn't be near as much trouble, or as expensive either.  However, I will wait and persevere, and I'm planting new plants in the new soil and praying for fall tomatoes.

The family loves pasta.  Any kind of pasta.  So, I went out and picked an enormous basket of basil and made a great pesto to mix in any pasta or spread on bruschetta.  We had some on a bowl of hot spaghetti  and it was fabulous!  When you mix this in the pasta, it can be served warm or cold.  I still have visions of big, juicy red tomatoes to go with my pesto but I will just have to wait...

PESTO
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 pine nuts
3 T. diced garlic (9 cloves)
5 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1 t. kosher salt
1 t. black pepper
1 1/2 cups olive oil
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Place walnuts, pine nuts and garlic in food processor fitted with a steel blade.  Process for 30 seconds.  Add the basil, salt and pepper.  With the processor running, slowly add the olive oil and process until the pesto is finely pureed.  Add the Parmesan cheese and puree for 1 minute.  Serve, or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top.  Enjoy!