With all that lovely basil left over from our summer harvest, we went hunting for the perfect use and we found it in Jamie Oliver’s delicious recipe for basil pesto
Collect that sweet and fresh basil from your herb garden and follow the recipe below…

WHAT YOU’LL NEED
A large bunch of fresh basil, leaves picked
50g pine nuts (we also love to use roasted almonds)
1 clove garlic, peeled
50g parmesan, finely grated
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

HOW TO
Crush the garlic in a pestle and mortar with a pinch of salt.
Add the basil leaves and pine nuts and grind to a coarse paste.
Stir in the olive oil and parmesan. You can add a splash of water if you prefer it runnier. Grind until smooth.
Taste, then season with salt and pepper.
That’s it! So simple and so delicious.

We love to serve our pesto over classic pasta with a little rocket and extra parmesan. You could even chop up the fresh and delicious summer tomatoes you harvested and add to the meal, or create a simple salad by slicing your tomatoes, adding some bocconcini or mozzarella, some fresh basil and drizzling over a little extra virgin olive oil. Yum!

Related:
How to: Harvest your summer vegetables
Your garden: What to plant in March

Photo from jamieoliver.com