End of Summer Pesto

I understand we are a little outside of summer, so maybe this should be more of a fall pesto. But pesto just feels so summery, doesn't it? Green, garlicy, fresh and flavorful. Maybe I'm just already mourning summer.

The pesto recipe I tried today is from David Lebovitz, whom I have only recently discovered. I have a bit of a foodie crush on him (though I realize he bats for the other team, is probably closer to my dad's age than mine, and isn't near as handsome as my husband). It's his use of simple, pure ingredients to make delicious food that lures me in. And the pictures on his blog... beautiful. But as pretty as this pesto looked on the blog, it was not the best pesto I have made.

Maybe it was because I used the food processor and didn't crush it to a pulp with a mortar and pestle like David did. Maybe the basil was impacted by the frost and not as delicious as it was in the spring or summer. Or could it be the tablespoon of lemon juice I added to help keep that vibrant green color? Whatever it was, while good, it still wasn't great. But if you want to try it for yourself (or at least salivate over his yummy blog), check out the recipe here: David Lebovitz Pesto Recipe

But if you want to make the pesto we found to be quite good (and it even sneaks in a good amount of fresh spinach), check out this recipe: Spinach Basil Pesto. But be forewarned, it has a fair amount of garlic spiciness to it, so it might be good to cut back on the garlic and add it in to taste. I also used walnuts instead of pine nuts (call me crazy) but I'm sure the pine nuts would've been great too. It's pictured below. I think our "vintage" counter top sets off the green nicely. :)

Or, if you want to just enjoy some delicious store bought pesto, I would highly recommend the one Whole Foods makes in their stores. That is some good stuff and much easier than making it from scratch, but where's the fun in that?