Fresh 'n Easy Pesto

1 big bunch of basil (takes stems off, wash & dry)
3 cloves of garlic (don't be stingy)
A handful of raw pine nuts
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated is better)
A few tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil (cold-pressed)

OK... so I take all of that stuff... and I throw it in a blender and I hit whatever button makes it chop everything into teeny little bits. Maybe liquefy. LOL!

Then I pour it out of the blender into a jar (a ball jar, an old clean jelly jar.. whatever) and I carefully pour a tablespoon of olive oil on top for storage.

How do I use it? On EVERYTHING!!!! I put it on:

*Salmon (Rob makes a mean pesto salmon )
*Sandwiches (I'll make a house favorite this weekend to show you)
*Chicken
*Pork Loin
oh yeah...
*and pasta!

For everything except the pasta you probably only need a tablespoon or two. For the pasta, once your pasta is cooked to your perfection add about a 1/4 cup of the pesto and mix it around. I also like to throw another handful of pine nuts and grated cheese into the pasta for extra yumminess!

(Pesto pictures, including pasta and sandwich to follow!)