Pesto

When you have fresh basil, it is hard to resist making a pesto. This is the basic recipe, though you can vary it according to your taste.

Makes about one cup of pesto.

4-5 cups fresh basil leaves

½ cup olive oil

⅓ cup pine nuts

2-3 garlic cloves

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

¼ cup freshly grated Pecorino, Sardo or another hard flavorful cheese

1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

• Combine first 4 ingredients in food processor or blender.
• Blend until a paste is formed, stopping often to push down basil.
• Add the cheeses and salt and blend until smooth.

If you are not going to use to pesto immediately, blend the first four ingredients and freeze.  Then, when you want to use it the pesto, defrost, add the cheese and salt and blend again.

Serve the pesto on the pasta of your choice, use as a dip, or drizzle it over fresh boiled potatoes or on grilled vegetables.

Variants: some recipes call for the addition of 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Others call for you to blanche the basil (put it into boiling water for about 30 seconds), remove immediately and drain well, squeezing out as much of the water as possible. (This is supposed to keep the basil bright green.)

Mashed Potatoes with Spinach and Gruyère

A Swiss dish that was supposed affordable for students and interns who came to work at the UN on a minimal stipend. Of course, in Canada, the cost of Gruyère is a bit stiff.  

2 pounds of fresh baby spinach

4 pounds white-skinned potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces

½ cup butter

1 ¼ cups (or more) of warm whole milk

3 cups (about 12 ounces) grated Gruyère cheese

Salt and pepper

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Add the baby spinach and cook for one minute.
• Drain well, squeezing out as much water as possible. Set spinach aside.
• Cook potatoes in a large pot of boiling salted water until very tender.
• Drain well.
• Return to the pot and mash potatoes until almost smooth.
• Set pot over very low heat.
• Add butter and stir until melted.
• Gradually add the milk, mashing until the potatoes are completely smooth.
• Add cheese and reserved spinach and stir until cheese melts.
• Thin with more milk if desired.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Transfer potatoes to a bowl to serve.

Note: You can substitute sour cream or yoghurt for butter and milk. As well, if you do not have Gruyère, you can add another cheese – for example, I have used bacon flavoured creamy cheese.