Summertime is great for harvesting huge quantities of basil.  There are so many great varieties with subtle taste differences, the most common variety is simply known as sweet basil.  Basil is my favorite spice and I try to put it in everything.  Here’s a quick recipe that I put together to use the heaps of basil growing from my garden.  The lemon basil really adds a sweetness to this recipe. If you can’t find lemon basil in your garden or local herb dealer, you could always double the amount of sweet basil.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup lemon basil leaves (loosely packed)
• 1/2 cup sweet basil leaves (loosely packed)
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1 Tbs warm water
• 1/4 cup walnuts
• 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/2-1 tsp red curry paste depending on how spicy you want it
• black pepper to taste

Steps:

1. If you grew the basil in your own garden rinse it gently to remove any dirt.  Be careful not to wash to vigorously or you will start to lose some of the essential oils from the leaves.
2. Put all the ingredients into a food processor and blend thoroughly.  You will likely have to stop several times and push down the bits that climb up the sides.
3. Add enough red curry paste to create your desired level of heat.  1/2 tsp will be enough to just taste the kick.  1tsp (or more!) will give it a nice heat.
4. You can add more olive oil and water (2:1 ratio) if needed to thin it out some.

Add a small amount of the pesto over your favorite pasta.  Fresh grape tomatoes are an excellent compliment to the heat of the curry.  This recipe makes enough for about 4 servings- double it to make more. 

Enjoy!

-JD