Celebrate Spring with Pesto

Basil and mint are particularly easy to grow in containers, so try making your own little herb garden. To keep a steady stream of basil coming all summer long, plant a few seeds every week so one plant will be coming up while you are finishing the first one. You only need one of each kind of mint you want to grow. Chances are you will have more than you need.

A basic pesto consists of fresh basil leaves, pine nuts, parmesan, and olive oil. But after that, there is no limit and you can make it with different herbs and greens depending on the season. Pine nuts can be expensive so swap them with almonds, pistachios, or hazelnuts.

If it's too cold to pick basil, try using spinach or arugula instead. The flavor will be different, but sometimes different is really good. One of my current favorite combinations is garlic scapes and almonds. It's perfect for the early spring when it's too soon to plant basil outside.

Be bold in your flavor profiles and try something like cilantro and pecans. This would be great on quesadillas or a southwest influenced pasta salad. Try a mixture of basil and mint paired with freshly squeezed orange juice and hazelnuts. It's a great way to dress a fruit salad, and all your friends will ask for the recipe. I like to use purple opal basil to make the color even more interesting. It looks even better when you serve it on Noritake colorwave dinnerware.

If you have any leftover pesto, even a tablespoon's worth, stick it in an ice cube tray. Once you have filled one up (and all the cubes are frozen) empty them into a ziplock bag. You can thaw it and have pasta with pesto in the winter. It's also great to throw a few pesto cubes into a soup or stew as well. You'll never have to wait for spring to have pesto again.