I arrived home in Brisbane to find myself waist-deep in a few varieties of basil. They’re all potted in water-storing pots, which means they survived a month with no watering at all, until the rain started after Christmas. A surplus of basil means only one thing:
Almond Pesto
- 1½ cups raw almond kernels
- 1 cup virgin olive oil
- 150g parmesan reggiano, chopped or grated
- 4-5 cloves of garlic
- armful of fresh basil – I used a fairly even mix of Greek, Genovese and Thai.
- salt and course-milled black pepper to season
Wash and shake dry basil. Pluck leaves and add to a food processor with parmesan and half the oil, and process until just combined. Toast almonds until fragrant, then add to food processor. Sauté coarsely chopped garlic in remaining oil until just soft. Add oil and garlic to food processor and process until well mixed – you may need more oil to get sufficient smoothness. I like mine fairly chunky, although biting into a large piece of almost-raw garlic can ruin your date. Serve warm on grilled ciabatta, mixed with pasta for alla genovese, or store under oil in the refrigerator.
