This year I grew basil from seed for the first time, and had resounding success. I used great seeds from Renee’s Garden. She has many types of basil but I chose her Italian Pesto Basil seeds specifically for making my own pesto. This basil was very easy to grow, in two rows in my raised bed. The green color alone is fabulous, and as you pick the leaves or pinch the flowers the fresh basil smell is intoxicating.

My incentive for growing basil, and making my own pesto from the garden was Wine Vault & Bistro’s Italian Culinary and Wine Tour, my husband and I, and friends took two years ago. The tasty tour focused mainly around Florence and Tuscany, and paused in Cinque Terre. Cinque Terre is five separate coastal villages perched precariously high above the Mediterranean within Liguria in northwest Italy. These villages because of inaccessibility, were virtually unknown to the world until shortly after World War II. They are all now part of the Cinque Terre National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In the fifth and furthermost village of Monterosso, our tour had a planned amazing lobster and seafood lunch along with other local delicacies at the sweet Hotel Pasquale. An extra bonus was an optional pesto making class beforehand from the restaurant’s own Nonna. Taking notes as quickly as I could, I share with you her authentic Pesto Recipe. This is the recipe I am using this summer from my garden, and share with you now.

Italian Basil Pesto (For Two People)

80 small Genoa basil leaves, or fresh basil leaves of your choice. One clove garlic.

One tablespoon pine nuts per person, not roasted but raw.

The best pine nuts are from Pisa, Italy. One heaping tablespoon Parmesan cheese per person.

For more people use 4 tablespoons pine nuts,

3 garlic cloves, but use same amount of Parmesan cheese and garlic proportionally.

Add into ingredients 1/2 cup good olive oil for two people, more olive oil, if making for more people.

With a mortar and pestle crush your basil leaves until they become a paste. Add other ingredients.

Add your olive oil to mixture last. Pesto should be a cream-like consistency.

Don’t normally need salt, because the cheese has salt. Use over warm linguini.

My recipe notes. You can use a food processor as an alternative to a mortar & pestle for your pesto, but know the Italians still prefer a mortar & pestle.

This pesto is made up of a few simple ingredients, so try and find the best of all of these ingredients. I use this fresh pesto over my pasta yes, but also for my

homemade pizza, and tomato tartines. Enjoy, and maybe it will take you to Italy someday, or take you back to Italy once again.