Some food smells are intoxicating. The smell of coffee, fresh tomatoes off the vine, the smell of popcorn popping. The smells that make your mouth water or salivate. Some smells are so intense that when you eat the food the taste only seems half as good as the smell itself.

One food that sends me into sensory overload is basil. When I smell this herb I often feel like munching on the leaves like a koala munches on gum leaves. In fact I have to confess I have actually munched on a bunch of basil leaves by themselves. While basil may freshen your breath when you chew on the leaves, lets just say that this is one instant where the herb smells better than it tastes. Basil by itself, in excess quantities is peppery hot and doesn’t exactly entice you to want more. Fundamentally herbs are not really eaten on their own by the handful, unless in high doses for medicinal use, so really I guess it was my fault that my mouth felt fury and on fire after eating excess basil.

One of my favorite ways to eat basil is in a pesto. Pesto alla Genovese originated in the Italian city of Genova . It contains basil, pine nuts, parmesan cheese ( Romano, Parmigano-Reggiano or Peccorino make of sheep's milk), garlic and salt. In fact there are many other versions of traditional regional pesto in Italy. Some use tomato, less basil and almonds. Others use capcicum or peppers and less basil.

Regional cuisines are fascinating, in that the people understand the land and the land provides what the people eat. Many cultures have regional cuisine that has evolved over time and become a micro hub if you like, of the way the people eat based on what food that area provides. Modern micro hubs are supermarkets where everything is available at our finger tips all year round. We have forgotten what it is to use what the land has provided. Having said all that, just as regions of Italy adapted to make a crushed paste with what they had lying in their garden, so I guess can we based on what we have in our fridge. Below are some versions of pesto based on what I had in my fridge and pantry. Moral of the story; you can make a crushed pesto with what you have in your garden or if you don’t have one, from your fridge. Grab some nuts, herbs and/or vegetables, cheese and oil and invent your own regional cuisine based on what you like to eat. Mix it through your favorite pasta, a spread to replace butter on stone ground bread or as the base to a salad dressing.

Here is some inspiration for you:

Guide

Note: Season to taste below but be mindful some of the cheeses are already salty.

Pesto 1 ~ Sundried Tomato Pesto

30g Parmigiano-Reggiano or Parmesan

100g Sundried Tomatoes (drained, if they under oil)

Parsley 1 bunch

120 cashew

30ml oil

10ml white wine vinegar

Pesto 2 ~ Rocket Pesto

80g Parmigiano-Reggiano or Parmesan

40 pine nuts

(Can add garlic)

100g rocket

50g oil

Pesto 3 ~ Spinach and Greuere Pesto

70g Greuere

40g almond

2 cloves of roasted garlic

30g almond oil

120g spinach

Pesto 4 ~ Broccoli Pesto

Brrocoli (steamed but still crunchy)

Lemon rind

10ml lemon juice

100g feta

40g sunflower seeds

10ml sunflower Oil

Preparation

You can make the pesto using a traditional mortar and pestle, stick blender or blender. The more you pound or pulse the finer the pesto. Personally I still like a bit of crunch in my nuts. But your palette for pesto may be very different. Perfect for a feast plate . Happy pesto making.

Words By

Anita La Forgia

Life learner, multipotentialite, lifestyle elevator and creator

A treechanger who cooks to elevate life. Anita is passionate foodie using local, quality and seasonal ingredients. Living in the Macedon Ranges in Victoria she frequents the local farmers markets each week, with her beloved luggy. Her grandparents instilled the life skills of sustainable living, before sustainable living was a buzz word. She grew up in a restaurant and completing her International degree at César Ritz colleges in Switzerland, the heart land of hospitality, food and service.

Crushed Paste Pesto ~ Feast