While I love the fall season, there’s something sad about the end of my summer garden. There is a lot to be said about opening your back door and stepping out into your garden to pick fresh vegetables and herbs. I love that feeling of growing, harvesting, and eating from my garden.

When I think of a garden my mind immediately goes to basil, one of my favorite herbs. It is relatively easy to grow during its growing season of four to five months. It’s a bushy plant, whose vibrant green color and distinct smell make me happy. On top of that, basil is chock full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and essential oils.

The past several weeks I have been trying to use the remainder of my plants. The weather is changing, and sweet basil does not do well in the cold. Luckily, I love cooking with it…topping pizza, adding it to tomato sauces, making caprese salads, eating it on pasta, but my favorite way to use basil is making pesto. This year I have been on a pesto kick! I have made basic pesto, experimented with garlic scape pesto, and garlic chive pesto. All three varieties were a hit!

If you are not familiar with garlic scapes they are the long, thin, and curly stalks that grow from the bulbs of hard neck garlic plants. I purchased my first garlic scapes at a farmers’ market in Utica, this past summer. When we came home, I made the most delicious pesto we have ever had. Unfortunately, garlic scapes are only available in late spring and early summer. As to garlic chives they are also known as Chinese chives and grow taller than common chives and have flatter leaves. It is their garlic-like flavor that gives them their name. I purchased these at a farmer’s market as well. Try the three pesto versions below and let me know what you think.

This is what you will need:

Basic Basil Pesto

  • 2 cups packed basil leaves
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsps. pine nuts, lightly toasted
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan
  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper
  • 1 medium-sized garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon
  • 1/4 cup olive oil, more if needed
  • 1 tsp. softened butter, unsalted

Directions:

  1. Place pine nuts into a small pan on your stove and heat on medium. Stir the pine nuts frequently until they turn golden. This does not take long (5 – 7 minutes) so don’t walk away from the stove. Remove pan from stove, immediately take pine nuts out of pan to cool before adding to food processor.
  2. Place basil into food processor. Pulse on high a few times to start breaking down basil.
  3. Add cooled pine nuts, parmesan, salt, pepper, and garlic, and pulse a few times to incorporate all ingredients.
  4. Add freshly squeezed lemon, olive oil, and pulse again.
  5. To add creaminess to mixture, add softened butter and pulse again.
  6. Place pesto into a container and enjoy immediately or top with a small amount of olive oil to preserve freshness and store in the refrigerator.

Garlic Scape/Basil Pesto

  • 3/4 cup scape pieces, cut on diagonal
  • 1 cup packed basil
  • 1/2 cup pine nuts, plain
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan
  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  • Freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 1 small garlic clove, minced
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsps. olive oil
  • 1 tbsp. softened butter, unsalted

Directions

  1. Place basil into food processor. Pulse on high a few times to start breaking down basil.
  2. Add in scapes and pulse on high until they are broken down and incorporated into basil.
  3. Add pine nuts, parmesan, salt, pepper, garlic, and pulse a few times to incorporate all ingredients.
  4. Add olive oil and pulse again.
  5. To add creaminess to mixture, add softened butter and pulse again.
  6. Place pesto into a container and enjoy immediately or top with a small amount of olive oil to preserve freshness and store in the refrigerator.

Garlic Chive/Basil Pesto

  • 2/3 cup garlic chives, chopped
  • 1 cup packed bail leaves, plus more if needed
  • 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
  • 1/3 cup grated parmesan
  • 1/2 kosher salt
  • Freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 1 small garlic clove, minced
  • 1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp.olive oil
  • 1 tsp. softened butter, unsalted

Directions:

  1. Place basil into food processor. Pulse on high a few times to start breaking down basil.
  2. Add garlic chives and pulse on high until they are broken down and incorporated into basil.
  3. Add chopped walnuts, parmesan, salt, pepper, garlic, and pulse a few times to incorporate all ingredients.
  4. Add olive oil and pulse again.
  5. To add creaminess to mixture, add softened butter and pulse again.
  6. Place pesto into a container and enjoy immediately or top with a small amount of olive oil to preserve freshness and store in the refrigerator.

Hope you enjoy pesto as much as I do! Bon Appetit!