Herb Pestos

In the summer, we enjoy lots of fresh herb pestos!  And then I freeze quite a few to continue enjoying all winter.


Basically, a pesto is just fresh herb leaves processed with oil.  To make pesto from mint, that's all I do - process mint leaves with enough olive oil to make a paste, add salt and pepper, and serve.  For basil pesto, I add a few more ingredients.

So what do you do with pesto?  Add to cooked pasta (with meat, olives, roasted red peppers, white beans, and whatever else you think sounds good), mix with mayonnaise for a sandwich spread, mix with chevre for an appetizer spread, use instead of pizza sauce on pizzas, mix with oil and lemon juice or vinegar for a salad dressing, add to ground meat for hamburgers ..... mint pesto is wonderful on lamb burgers!  Here's my recipe for basil pesto.

Basil Pesto

6 cups packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup soaked and toasted almond slivers
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. white pepper

This is easier with a food processor, but a blender will also work.

Combine 3 cups of the basil leaves with the rest of the ingredients and process until well blended.  Add the remaining basil and process again. 

If you can use Parmesan, you can also add 1/2 cup finely grated (or microplaned). 

Empire Half Turkey Breast

This is our favorite way to roast turkey breasts!  The Empire one is great because, unless you don't do well with corn fed meat, it works for many corn allergic people (washed in water and salt only and the soaker pad does not use citric acid according to one of their customer service reps), it's brined and is very moist and tender.  And it turns out beautifully - I forgot to take a picture of it before the skin came off, so imagine it all golden brown!

Empire half turkey breast
about 1/2 cup of chopped fresh herbs - I use sage and thyme
2 Tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper

1.  Mix herbs, olive oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl.  Gently cut the membrane that holds the skin on - just along the front so that you make a pocket.

2.  Stuff in the herb mixture.  Smooth the skin back down and rub the turkey with the olive from your hands.  Salt and pepper the outside.

3.  Roast in a 425 degree oven until the thickest part gets to 165 degrees - a little over an hour.  Remove from oven and tent with foil for 5 minutes.  Take the meat off and slice - save the skin and bone for stock.