Since the garden is full of basil right now, and a lot more people are diet conscious, I thought someone might like a low-fat pesto recipe:
Low Fat Pesto
1 cup well-packed fresh basil leaves
1 cup chopped tomatoes (you can also use cherry or grape tomatoes)
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon pine nuts
1/2 tsp. salt
Rinse and drain the basil leaves. Toast the pine nuts in a single layer in a toaster oven at 350 degrees, or on the stove in a nonstick skillet for 3 - 5 minutes, until just lightly browned. Combine everything in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. (You may need to scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula a few times as you go, to make sure everything gets blended.) Makes one cup pesto.
This is best served immediately, but it will keep in the fridge for 3 days, or in the freezer for months.
When serving this to friends, you may want to bring a cruet of olive oil and a piece of parmesan with a grater to the table, and allow everyone to adjust their pesto to taste.
You can add 1 tsp. olive oil to your own portion if you're eating it plain if desired.
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Pesto recipe
