Ruthless Knitting Archive

This morning, David and I rode our bikes to the farmer’s market and bought tomatoes and basil, as well as some other lovely vegetables. When we got home, I started making pesto. Today was the third Saturday in a row that I have made pesto. I’m trying to put enough in the freezer to get us through most of the winter, but we’re eating it almost as quickly as I’m making it, so it’s hard to stay ahead.

Here are two of my favorite recipes for pesto, as well as an excellent tomato sauce recipe. The first recipe makes a zingy, unbelievably tasty vegan pesto. I highly recommend it. (Pictured on the left above.)

Pesto Perfecto
From Mark Reinfeld and Bo Rinaldi, Vegan Fusion World Cuisine
makes 1 c.

1 c. basil, tightly packed
1/4 c. cashews, macadamia, or pine nuts (I like to use cashews)
1/4 to 1/2 c. olive oil (1/4 c. seems like enough to me)
2 Tbsp. lemon juice, fresh squeezed (I have also used lime juice with success)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. soy sauce, or to taste
1/2 tsp. sea salt, or to taste
pinch cayenne pepper

Place all ingredients in blender or food processor and process until smooth.

This recipe makes a more traditional pesto that is delectable (pictured on the right above).

Pesto
From Mollie Katzen, Moosewood Cookbook
makes 1 c.

3 c. (packed) fresh basil leaves
3 to 4 large cloves garlic
1/3 c. pine nuts or chopped walnuts, lightly toasted
1/3 c. olive oil
1/3 c. parmesan
about 1/4-1/3 tsp. salt

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until smooth.

Finally, this tomato sauce freezes well and tastes like summer.

Summer Tomato Sauce
From Anna Thomas, The New Vegetarian Epicure
makes 2.5 to 3 c. (I got quite a bit more than this)

3 lbs. ripe tomatoes (at least a quart when chopped)
1 Tbsp. fruity green olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste (I use about 1/2 tsp. salt per batch)

Scald the tomatoes in boiling water for about 45 seconds and slip off their skins. Trim the stems and process briefly to a somewhat rough texture in a blender or food processor.

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and add the garlic. Stir it for about a minute, then pour in the tomatoes. Add the basil, salt, and pepper, and cook the sauce on a medium flame for about half an hour, or a little longer if the tomatoes were very juicy, until reduced by about a third.

Bon appetit!