Rich's Basil Pesto

a few tablespoons of Pine nuts
4 ounces of Basil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
a few cloves of Garlic
1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
1 teaspoon Salt

I never measure when I make this, I go by look and taste along the way. I start with a few tablespoons of pine nuts. Toast them in a dry frying pan. They should start to give off a nutty smell and turn golden brown – be careful not to burn. Next take about 4 ounces of good basil. I always use northern California grown basil – southern cal just doesn’t taste the same, but it could be the shipping that ruins it. Go local. I also grow my own, which is best. But we are too early in the season for that, and my garden has been sorely neglected. Grind the basil up with 1 tsp of salt, a couple of cloves of garlic, and the pine nuts with enough olive oil to lube things up. Add in a mess of grated parmesan cheese – about a ¼ cup. Add in enough olive oil to get it to the right consistency – about ½ cup total. Finally – and I never see this in cookbooks – add in some lemon juice. If you don’t the basil turns black after you add it to the pasta (or whatever you are serving it on). The lemon juice keeps it a bright green. You only need about a tablespoon.

The secret to making this great is pretty simple. You need to use a really good basil infused olive oil – which is hard to find here in the U.S. I know of two sources: http://www.olivier-on-line.com from paris (this is the best) and http://www.oliviersandco.com available at few locations in the U.S. (it's OK). You can't go down to your local mega-mart and pick up a bottle of basil oil - it will probably taste like crap.

Serve over pasta, meat, fish or bread - really anything. Keeps for about a day.