I grow my own basil as well. Pesto means "paste" (literally) or sauce in Italian.
Basil/garlic is the most popular type of pesto although you can make oregano
pesto or thyme pesto, etc.
My basil has grown to about 18". I tend to pull off the large leaves to let the
smaller ones mature.
I have come across a good fat free recipe for basil pesto. Instead of the
traditional fatty ingredients (pine nuts, olive oil, parmesan cheese) try the
following. All measurements are approximate. I rarely measure.
Fat Free Basil Pesto
1 C basil leaves
2 T lemon juice
2-3 cloves of garlic
2 T fat free (ground) parmesan cheese
Put your washed basil leaves in the food processor. Throw in two/three cloves of
garlic (to taste, depends on clove size). Put in some lemon juice (I've been using
bottled) and blend. Once the leaves get cut into small bits add some fat free
parmesan and mix together. It should come out well bended but not soupy.
Enjoy,
James Wilkins
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"The only thing to fear is fearlessness..." - REM
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