Fresh for the Pesto Garden
(Page 2 of 3)
June/July 2003
By Kris Wetherbee
• Most any dry, sharp cheese will work fine, but freshly grated Parmesan, Romano and pecorino (made from sheep’s milk) are superb choices.
RELATED CONTENT
If you don’t have garlic growing in your garden now, scallions and garlic cloves will stand in for ...
This is packed with summer flavor. For best results when freezing, omit the Parmesan cheese and add...
Here’s a piquant variation that uses sour cream. For best results, do not freeze this pesto, as fre...
This is the classic, fresh sauce that originated in Genoa, Italy. For best results when freezing th...
• When it comes to garlic, skip the dried powder or granules and stick with fresh. You can grow many varieties of fresh garlic or buy it at your local farmers’ market. Some are spicier than others, so experiment.
• Extra-virgin olive oil is considered by many to be the best oil for making pesto. Whether using olive oil or substituting another oil such as walnut, use the best-quality oil you can find.
Planning the Garden
Store-bought pesto can be good, but homemade pesto is sensational. And when you make pesto with fresh herbs grown and harvested from your own garden, you’ll experience pesto perfection. You can grow your own pesto herbs in an area as small as 16 square feet. That’s enough space to grow the following herbs: eight basil, one upright rosemary, two parsley, two sweet oregano, four summer savory and one chive plant. Short on garden space? Enliven your deck or patio with a grouping of container-grown herbs for culinary accents that are always right at hand.
Most herbs can be grown in full sun to partial shade and well-drained soil. A sunny location is best for basil, fennel, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, sage, sorrel and summer savory. For herbs such as chervil that shun direct sun in warmer climates, seek out patches of filtered shade under the canopy of taller sun-loving herbs of fennel or rosemary.
Provide herbs the nutrients they need with a yearly application of compost or aged manure. Annual herbs such as basil need a slightly richer soil for continual harvests, so side-dress annual herbs with additional aged manure or a complete organic fertilizer about four to six weeks after seedlings appear, when plants are about 6 inches tall.
Annual herbs can be directly sown from seed. For summer-loving basil, it’s best to transplant or direct-seed after the soil has warmed to above 55 degrees and danger of frost has past. Harvest annual herbs such as basil frequently to delay flowering. Perennials are best grown from purchased plants, especially if you’re eager for any kind of harvest the first year.
Presto Pesto
In its origins, traditional pesto was made with a mortar and pestle by pounding the fresh leaves, garlic, nuts and cheese together into a paste. Olive oil was then slowly drizzled in and whisked into a delicious herb pesto. Today the food processor has turned pesto production into effortless fun. Start with clean, dry leaves, and with a pulsing action, coarsely chop herbs, whole garlic, grated cheese and nuts, scraping down the sides as necessary. Slowly add olive oil while the machine is running and process into a paste or the consistency you prefer.