Aug 16, 2006--Pesto Party!
Fun was had by all at the Garden on Wednesday! About 50 pounds of tomatoes were picked by community gardeners, as well as a few women from Sarah's...an Oasis for Women. 30 pounds went to Sarahs, 10 pounds to Bethany and 10 more to Community Gardeners. Close to 5 pounds of basil were picked to make pesto. The group headed inside to eat pizza and prepare for pesto making. About a gallon and a half of pesto was made for the gardeners to bring home. The wonderful smell of basil and garlic filled the building! See you next week!


...just another day in the garden
(You just never know what you'll find!)

For those of you interested, here is the Pesto recipe we (loosely) followed:
Pesto
6 servings
3 cups (packed) fresh basil leaves
3 to 4 garlic cloves
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup parmesan
optional: 1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts, lightly toasted and pepper and salt to taste.
1. Mince basil well in a food processor or blender. 2. Add nuts (optional) and continue to blend until nuts are ground. 3. Drizzle in olive oil as the machine is still running until you have a smooth paste. Transfer to a bowl, stir in parmesan and optional salt and pepper. Serve room temperature in a warmed bowl with your choice of cooked pasta. Store any leftover pesto in the refrigerator.