Minted Walnut Pesto

Time for basil harvest. This year I mix both regular basil with small leaf Greek basil - a new find at the nursery this year. Greek basil is very aromatic and I'm using it in more and more dishes, fresh from the bush.

Here I amp up the basil with fresh mint - abundant as the basil in the herb garden this time of year.

1/4 cup walnuts

2 cloves fresh garlic, peeled

4 cups slightly packed fresh basil leaves

1 cup fresh mint leaves

1 cup olive oil

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Pulse the walnuts and garlic in a large food processor until you have a fine meal.

Add the basil and mint leaves and pulse 10-12 times until leaves begin to mince. Add the oil and process until smooth.

Remove basil mixture to a bowl and stir in the parmesan cheese.

Makes about 1-1/2 cup pesto.

Cook’s note: I do not blanch my basil leaves beforehand. If you do, dry the leaves in a salad spinner as best you can. While blanching can reduce the browning (oxidation) of the pesto on standing, I do not find the oxidation degrades the quality of the pesto to any noticeable degree. More discerning pallets may disagree, but I’m not sure it’s worth the additional complexity of the process.

You can certainly use pine nuts for a more traditional pesto. Hazelnuts are also fantastic in pesto for an additional woody/nutty flavor.

Smal-leafed Greek basil is especially aromatic and adds even more flavor to pesto.

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