Recipe for Summer Dreaming Pesto

Today has been very trying, we have had snow blizzards since before 7 o'clock this morning and at 6 this evening its still blowing and snowing, but I am not going to write about that, I'm going to think about things that I love in the summer, so I thought I would write down my pesto recipe to share with you.

I adore the smell of basil, it remnds me of the smell of warm sunshine, warm days, outdoor eating, lazy afternoons, and forgetting about winter, cold days and snow.

PESTO
One handful of toasted pine nuts grilled for 1 minute not more or brown. Half a clove of garlic, peeled and chopped ,salt and pepper, 3 good handfuls of fresh basil leaves picked and chopped
A good handful of Parmesan cheese preferably fresh grated, extra virgin oil

Put garlic, little salt and pepper with basil in food processor until pureed ,crush pine-nuts and add to basil puree, then add half the cheese, pour mixture into a bowl , pour on some olive oil to bind the mixture, to an oozy consistency, season to taste.
Then, gradually add the remaining cheese with more oil until it becomes the taste and consistency that you are happy with. Hey presto, delicious Pesto.

What I love to do with this recipe, is to blob a load of pesto into a bowl, add more garlic if you like it, add chopped sun-dried tomatoes, the more the merrier, and some little black olives and a little passata also a little olive oil, mix and leave for a couple of hours for the different flavours to expand, later, cook some pasta, strain when cooked and stir in the mix, this is yummy and so so easy.

Serve with a crisp green salad, two or three bottles of chilled white wine, mmm, superb.

Maybe strawberries or fruit salad for desert, some gorgonzola cheese, Im getting out my bikini already.

(Confession)

I will be honest,with you and confess that sometimes buy the pesto already made, it's even easier.