Our Veggie Kitchen

My garden is finally giving it up. But, thanks to a late burst of summer, I was harvesting basil and tomatoes all they way though September this year. Finally, I decided it was time and clipped all the leaves from my basil. It was a sunny day. I was in the kitchen chopping away. My girls were playing and my boy was in the garden, experimenting with the remaining ripe tomatoes. It was one of those days that is so good and so simple, that it burns itself into your brain as a happy memory.



I ended up packing my freezer with three kinds of pesto:

Basic Pesto - Simple, pure and made creamy with olive oil and cashews. This is great for spaghetti, and makes delicious pesto butter. For years, I made this simple pesto with Parmesan cheese. I don't need to anymore.

Creamy Pesto - this is a newer creation, and purely decadent. An almond/basil pesto is combined with a cashew cream sauce that looks and tastes wonderful.

Cilantro Pesto - Cilantro, Parsley and Basil are combined with almonds and tangy lime juice. It's my all time favorite with beans & rice and makes for a tasty summer pasta salad.



And this was my son's creation. He picked and sliced some fresh tomatoes and topped them with freshly picked mint and a squeeze of lime juice. He nailed the concept of simple and fresh, and it was an inspiring mid-day treat.