Making Pesto

This is the last time of the year to collect your basil before it dies down. After you’ve collected the seeds for next year (as shown on my 8/17/13 blog post) gather a bunch of leaves and make some pesto. It’s a wonderful addition to a dinner gift. A little pesto, some pasta, bread and wine in a basket makes a great house warming or hostess gift.
Pesto is so easy to make. Here is a simple pesto recipe from Ina Garten.
Pesto:
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup pignoli (pine nuts)
3 tablespoons chopped garlic (9 cloves)
5 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups good olive oil
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Place the walnuts, pignoli, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 15 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is thoroughly pureed. Add the Parmesan and puree for a minute. Use right away or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top.




You can store it in a glass jar in the refrigerator or put it in a plastic container and freeze it.

photo credit: CK Worley

Wash the leaves, dry them with a paper towel and store them in the refrigerator. As long as they stay dry they will keep for a few days until you're ready to use them.

Everything is relative. And every triumph, problem, fear and experience becomes bigger or smaller depending to what you compare it to.
by HENRIK EDBERG

Roasting Pumpkin Seeds

It’s easy to roast pumpkin seeds. You have to remove all the “stuff” off of the seeds by rinsing them with water until they are totally clean. Next, spread them out on a towel to dry. Once they are dry you can toss them in cooking oil (just enough to coat). Spread them out evenly on a cookie sheet and sprinkle salt and garlic over them. If you don’t like garlic just use salt. Bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes. Don’t over cook. You have to let them cool completely before you sit down to enjoy them. They are yummy and have many health advantages including anti Inflammatory benefits.

A cup of roasted pumpkin seeds has about 285 calories so you have to be a little careful about grabbing handfuls at a time. If you trade in your Halloween candy for pumpkin seeds you’ll feel better and the health benefits will make you grin!

What to Plant and WHEN?????

I wrote to Nancy Awot who is a Horticulture Specialist at W. Atlee Burpee & Company and asked that same question. Here is her answer to my Zone 7 question.

“It is too late for tomatoes, however, there are many things you can plant now and in the fall. You can still plant lettuce, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, onions and garlic.  Onions and garlic you plant in September for a next summer harvest. If you want to try a fruit you could try alpine strawberries.  If you would like some flowers try pansies they will flower until the hard freeze.

 As it gets colder you can still continue to plant lettuce, beets, carrots and spinach about every two weeks for continual harvest. If you check out our website www.burpee.com  click on the growing calendar on the left column.  It will tell you  what you can plant and when  to plant  your vegetable. So you can plant well into the fall.   A winter garden doesn’t mean you can plant things all winter long. Once the ground freezes no more planting but you should be able to harvest up until that first heavy freeze.

Make sure you try spinach you can still plant those in October they like the cold.”

Thank you Nancy Awot ~ That was very helpful information! :D

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