Here is a recent recipe my friend Daiane Lopes and I developed by late September this year, when purple basil was blooming like mad in the herb garden. It has also been published on the online version of Umbigo Magazine.
Here is Dai picking the basil.
Ingredients:
- 60 grams purple basil
- 30 grams roasted salted peanuts
- 1 clove of garlic
- 30 grams shredded Grana Padano
- 60 grams extra virgin olive oil
- Sea Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground pepper, also to taste
Easy as pie, although this recipe doesn’t resemble one. Mix everything in the food processor, except the olive oil, which should be poured in while the peanuts and basil are minced. The original pesto recipe doesn’t include peanuts, but pine nuts are remarkably expensive. And peanuts are a good alternative. Make sure not to turn it into a basil peanut butter, a little bit of texture stands out in any recipe you choose to use it in.
Store the pesto in a jar and top with more olive oil, it won’t last long so the olive oil should continue to cover the surface for less oxidation from exposure in the fridge. If not intended of using in the near future, freezing in ice cube containers is also an option, and an easy fix up to make a quick sauce or enrich a vegetable soup.
I always find a cute jar somewhere in the kitchen.
Besides the versatility of a pesto, or pesto related recipes, the best and most delicious way of eating it is on bread, what else.
Huum, pesto on toast.
Lovely purple from the basil leaves, unfortunately it doesn’t stick in the pesto!
Mel's Vittles 
I love basil and peanuts both. This sound and looks really interesting, Mel. It’s missing bacon though. I don’t know where, just bacon anywhere. 🙂
Looks really delicious! That’s the way to do it, with basil, Portuguese olive oil and peanuts 😀
Wow very different
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