Basil-Walnut Pesto, Fit For Hoarding (aka Freezing)

I am a hoarder. Or, to use a more endearing term, a pack rat. Living in Minneapolis (ie with lots of space and a kitchen all to my own) has only encouraged this habit. All I can say is, if the Apocalypse (or a really big snow storm) comes, I’ve got plenty of sugar and flour. And toothpaste. For some reason, lots of toothpaste.

What I realized today, though, as I was spinning handful after handful of basil leaves into golden pesto, was that these days there is one socially acceptable (in fact, socially encouraged/deified) form of hoarding. I’m talking, of course, about canning/preserving.

If you haven’t heard that canning/preserving is in, then you must somehow be in the midst of an Apocalypse yourself. It’s everywhere, and was last summer too, but as the media catches up to the Great Recession, it’s really everywhere this summer. And as I surveyed my bounty (thus far) this afternoon, I felt an uncontrollable satisfaction, somewhat like the Ant must have felt. Two quarts of corn chowder tucked away in the freezer, two pints of somewhat ungelled but properly sealed strawberry preserves, one quart of dilly beans/carrots, and two quarts of “sunshine pickles” (recipe forthcoming). And now, four half-pints of pesto in the freezer, and a bunch more frozen basil on top of that.

So, today I’m going to talk about the basil/pesto, because freezing is by far the most approachable method of preserving (no hot water baths or fears of botulism), and freezing pesto is serious bang for your buck. Today at the farmer’s market, I bought three absolutely extravagantly enormous bunches of basil for $1 each. Additionally, I used probably 1/3 lb. of walnuts, at $5 a lb. (for about $2, rounding up). And then a good dribble of extra virgin olive oil, about 1/3 bottle from TJ’s (I can’t remember how much that was, but cheap). Traditionally one uses pine nuts rather than walnuts; however, pine nuts cost $32 a lb. (six times the price of walnuts!), and also, I wasn’t sure how well their more delicate flavor would survive freezing. Also, you leave out the cheese — usually Parmesan, but you could also use pecorino or asiago — when freezing, and add it in later, when you’ve thawed the pesto and are ready to serve.

Which is all to say, that making your own pesto, during the summer when basil is at its peak, is super cheap. Making your own pesto in the winter is another story. And buying pre-made pesto is yet another story entirely. So, make your own pesto!

Not to mention that making pesto is terrifically easy, assuming you have a food processor or blender. If you’re mortar and pestling this stuff, then maybe you won’t want to be working in bulk. But if you’re looking for quantity to last through the winter, then doing it all in one go is the best, for one simple reason: one-time clean-up.

I used Elise’s pesto recipe from Simply Recipes as a basic guide, more or less hewing to it, but I’m sure proportions were slightly different each time. David’s post from almost two years ago (two years ago!) really emphasizes how fungible the proportions are.

Oh! And to make this post even longer: What about the pure frozen basil, you ask? Well, it wasn’t just basil; it was basil whizzed with olive oil (no measurements, just dribbled in until the whole things cohered) and then spooned into an ice cube tray. Then, when it’s frozen, you can pop your basil/oil “ice cubes” out and freeze them in a ziploc, with them still staying separate. And then, whenever the mood strikes, you’ll have approximately a tablespoon of basil (with a little oil, but you’d almost always be using olive oil with basil anyway) at the ready. I’m not sure what I’m going to use my basil cubes for yet, but I’m sure I’ll figure something out. (Warning: I found these little buggers a little tricky to get out of the ice cube tray; if you have one of those flexible trays — as pictured above — I’d use that, and maybe give it a spray with olive oil cooking spray, if you have some handy.)

Basil-Walnut Pesto

Makes about 1/2 pint of pesto

Adapted from Simply Recipes

Ingredients

- 2 cups (packed) fresh basil leaves

- 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted

- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

- 3 cloves of garlic

- salt, to taste (about 1/4 tsp.)

- freshly ground black pepper, to taste

- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, or other cheese (leave out if freezing, or, if you’re vegan — this is pretty great sans cheese)

1. Whiz basil, nuts, and garlic in food processor til they form a thick/slightly chunky paste. (Scrape down any leaves.)

2. With food processor on, add olive oil in a steady stream. The pesto should now be a more coherent paste.

3. (Add cheese here if you’re not freezing, with food processor going.)

4. Add salt and pepper to taste, pulse one more time to combine.

5. Spoon into a half-pint container (I just ask the nice employees at the deli counter of the nearest supermarket for empty ones). Freeze. Enjoy in the thick of January, when you have all but forgotten the taste of freshness.