Homemade Pesto and Caprese Salad Dressing

I enjoy the flavor and ease of a capresse salad all summer long, especially when basil is freshly picked from my modest herb garden. I buy basil in winter, but often find that it’s gone bad before I can use it all. To avoid this, I earmark the leftover basil for pesto and add it to my growing supply in the freezer. I store portion size amounts using an ice cube tray lined with plastic wrap. Once frozen, I wrap each “cube” individually and store the lot in a large zip-lock bag back in the freezer. It defrosts easily in the microwave in 10-15 seconds. To make a basil dressing for a Caprese salad, add to a 2 Tbsp size portion of pesto, lemon zest and lemon juice from one lemon or to taste and gradually whisk in your best quality olive oil, around 1/4 cup. Salt and pepper to taste. The dressing is versatile and can be added to pasta topped with cooked peas.

Basil Pesto

Ingredients:

3 gloves of garlic

2 cups of basil leaves, tightly packed

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted (2-3 minutes in the toaster oven), cooled

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, or more to taste

1/4 cup EVOO, or more depending on your desired consistency

Using a food processor, pulse the garlic until minced. Add the basil, pine nuts, and Parmesan, and pulse until well chopped. Gradually add the olive oil. Lightly salt (Parmesan cheese typically added to pasta later is also salty) to taste and add a few grinds of pepper.