Pesto

Difficulty:  Easy

Serves: 6 at home or 24 in the classroom

Fresh from the garden:  basil, garlic

Recipe Source:  Adapted from the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation

• metric measuring spoons and cups
• 2 clean tea towels
• chopping boards & non-slip mats
• 1 small knife
• small non-stick frying pan
• scales
• mortar and pestle
• 1 medium bowl
• grater
• colander
• spatula
• serving plates

• 60 g parmesan cheese
• ½ cup sunflower seeds (or pine nuts)
• 2 large handfuls basil (about 2 cups well-packed leaves)
• 4 garlic cloves
• sea salt
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

• Set out your equipment and ingredients.
• Weigh the parmesan and grate it.
• Place 2 tablespoons of the seeds (or nuts) in the frying pan and dry-fry over a medium heat until golden.  Set aside to use as garnish.
• Gently pull the basil leaves from their stems.  Rinse the leaves and dry by rolling in a tea towel.  Place the leaves in mortar and the stems in the red compost bucket.
• Peel the papery skin off the garlic and put in the mortar with a little sea salt and pound until the garlic is a paste.
• Add the rest of the seeds (or nuts) and basil leaves to the mortar and pound the mix until you have a rough paste.
• Slowly mix in the oil.  You should have a creamy paste, the same consistency as mayonnaise.
• Using the spatula, scrape the pesto into the serving bowls with the parmesan and stir to combine.  Taste for salt and season if necessary.
• Toss with the pasta and garnish with the toasted seeds (or nuts) and some extra basil leaves.