Pesto & Pesto Ricotta

Pesto is something that everyone should make and eat. I was not exposed to it until I went to College, and then I was unimpressed by underseasoned salads utilizing old pesto... and then I went and worked for Bianca for a summer, and made more fresh delicious pesto than you can shake a stick at. It's been love ever since.
All you need to make yourself a pretty good supply of pesto is a single plant. Trim it back a few times, encourage it to grow into a bush, and you have all the pesto two people can eat all summer, with a little left over to freeze for winter... though the frozen is never quite as good as fresh.

Pesto
2 cups basil leaves, well packed, stems removed
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (approximately)
2 Tbsp fresh grated parmesan
2 Tbsp pine nuts
2 tsp garlic
1/8 tsp each salt and black pepper

In it's simplest incarnation, simply process everything together in a food processor until smooth, scraping down the sides once or twice if necessary. I, however, prefer a slightly 'chunky' pesto, so I leave out a Tbsp each of the parmesan and pine nuts, chop them with a knife, and stir them in later. If you prefer a thin, oily pesto (good for dipping bread in), just add more olive oil. Adding more olive oil is usually necessary if you are trying to use a blender instead of a food processor.
I have actually made pesto without having access to a blender or food processor of any kind. It involved a lot of very very fine dicing with a sharp chef's knife. It turned out decent, but was better for dipping bread than for seasoning pasta... but it can be done!

To use Pesto, you can toss it with warm pasta, spread it on a pizza instead of tomato sauce, toss it with fresh boiled baby potatoes, spread it on crackers, put it on sandwiches (pesto-chicken-mozzarella anyone?), and my favorite: make pesto ricotta.

Pesto and Ricotta, about to become One

Pesto Ricotta
some pesto
about twice to three times as much ricotta

mix together well.

Pesto Ricotta

Pesto Ricotta on a Lasagna

I decided to make pesto ricotta the first time a few summers back when I suddenly realized I didn't have enough pesto to go with the pasta dinner I was making. It turned out better than I could have hoped, and has become a staple when I am making pasta dishes. I like it best when you can get a mouthful of warm tomato sauce and noodles with a little cold, creamy pesto ricotta in with it. The contrast is key.
I also like pesto ricotta on pizza. I usually dot a pizza with generous tablespoonfuls, then top and bake as I normally would.

Anyway, with summer approaching I think this is a timely reminder.
Plant your Basil! Make your Pesto! Eat Delicious Food!
-Zay

Pizza and News

So, it seems the word has not quite traveled through all branches of my family that I am alive and well, and have a place to live. My cousin Tod's Uncle Steve is renting Tyler and I a room in his very nice house. So far we are getting along very well with him and our other housemates, Sidney and Astara.
For the first week our room was completely unfurnished, we were living out of our luggage and sleeping on the hideously uncomfortable mattress from a couch bed, but in the last few days we managed to get ahold of some free dressers off craigslist and a very inexpensive but comfy mattress from goodwill. We are still looking for a couple desks, some tables, and some hippy wall hangings to decorate the very white room with, but it's starting to feel like home, and our house mates are starting to feel like family.
The past week has been great, one of the highlights was when Steve and I got excited about having chickens and started running around in the back yard figuring out where to keep them. There is already a structure that with very little improvement will make a great coop for 3-4 hens. I am so excited!
This being primarily a food and craft blog, I should share a recipe. Last night I made Pizza for everyone, and everyone loved it, so I thought I would share that!

Pizza Crust
3/4 cup water
1 tsp yeast
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp salt
olive oil

Mix the room temperature water and yeast together in a bowl. Mix in the flour and salt and knead gently, it will be a slightly sticky dough. Round it into a ball and pour about 1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil on top. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for at least one hour and up to 6 hours.
When you are ready to make your pizza, preheat the oven to 450*. Dump the dough out onto a cookie sheet and press out with your fingers until it covers the sheet. It will be quite thin. If it fights you, let it rest for 5 minutes then come back to it.
Bake the undecorated pizza crust for five minutes, then remove from the oven. Top with the sauce of your choice (my favorites are pesto and home made tomato), the vegies of your choice, (I like zucchini, onions, mushrooms, all lightly sauteed), fully cooked meat of your choice, and a generous layer of mozzarella cheese. Bake another 5-10 minutes, depending on your oven, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Cut into portions and enjoy immediately.

And here, a picture of the leftovers.