First, mash the garlic and salt in the mortar/pestle and add the lemon juice or Verjus. Mashing the garlic makes a nice paste and the acid mellows out the garlic while you, Second: pick basil and parsley leaves from their stems, wash & dry (Stems add water, which dilutes the flavor, and their texture mucks up the consistency). Third: plunk all the ingredients into a food processor and let ‘er rip. If you prefer your pesto a bit thinner, add more oil, a little at a time, pulsing as you go. If you like it a bit thicker you can add more leaves/cheese. Keeps 1 week, refrigerated. Secret: our Basil Oil makes this the best pesto you will ever taste. Really. You have been warned! Health Benefits of Basil Pesto: A Super source of iron, on the same level as spinach, Basil leaves also contain many health benefiting polyphenolic flavonoids and essential oils such as eugenol, citronellol, linalool, citral, limonene and terpineol. These compounds are known to have anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. Basil also contains exceptionally high levels of beta-carotene, vitamin A, cryptoxanthin, lutein and zea-xanthin. These compounds help act as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play a role in aging and various disease process. In short, Basil is loaded with flavor and goodness! |
