Each July we harvest our garlic patch, which this past year produced a supply large enough to last the whole year. Over two hundred beautiful heads were produced in the plot underneath our apple trees. By August, our basil plants are sending out plump leaves which we can not eat all at once. So, we create pesto throughout the month with the garlic and basil from our garden. We freeze many containers worth so that we can defrost it in the dark days of winter and have a fresh jolt of summer flavor to remember that summer is on it's way and will bring with it another bounty of vegetables and herbs.
This print is our recipe for garden pesto. This is a linoleum block print with images of basil, lemon, garlic and pine nuts in a mortar and pestle. The recipe is written in a box on the right side of the image. This print is a one color linoleum block print with three spray paint stencil colors. The paper is a tan, handmade mulberry paper with texture threads woven through the paper.
This recipe creates a chunky pesto; however if you prefer a smooth version you can place all the ingredients into a blender and it will create a smooth, green sauce. I prefer the chunky version, where each bite highlights different aspects of the pesto, one bite may emphasize the garlic, while the next the pine nuts.
You can also substitute the pine nuts for any other nut you prefer- we have also used sunflower seeds, which is a great option for folks who have nut allergies but can eat these seeds.
Chunky Garden Pesto recipe:
In a mortar and pestle mash 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup pine nuts, and 6 cloves garlic. Then add 2 cups finely diced basil, 1 teaspoon salt, juice from 1/2 a lemon, 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, and black pepper to taste.
This is the second print in a garden recipe series. The first print, Cherry Jam, is available at this link.
