This was a while ago.
The basil was burgeoning, so I brought handfuls inside to make pesto. I have a tiny food processor that goes onto the end of the bamix, but it makes a huge awful noise. My girls are not keen on the mildest of machinery noises, so I stood there wondering what to do. Then I remembered that I have a large granite mortar and pestle.
I have not ground curry ingredients myself in the last two and a half years, but the mortar is still fragrant. Mmm, one day the little girls will be big girls who eat adventurously.
I got the mortar and pestle down, and Ivy cruised by to find out what I was up to. She watched with interest as I washed, dried, and then pounded the basil leaves. Because she was interested and Hazel was occupied with Lego, I was in no hurry, so I pounded those leaves for a very very long time.
Eventually I noticed that the basil was creamy and smooth. I'd never made such a lovely pesto base. I added the pinenuts, more pounding. Garlic and salt, more pounding. Oil, gentle mixing. My goodness, the pesto was lovely.
When I used to make pesto in the food processor, the ingredients never became unified... the basil was in tiny pieces, the nuts were in really tiny pieces, and the garlic was too. The oil stayed oily. It was good enough to make again, but not good enough to serve to friends. This pounded pesto was smooth and the flavour was that of pesto, not that of basil + oil + garlic + pinenuts.
Ivy has become a pesto fan. I no longer make pesto in a food processor. I'd rather have no pesto that eat that rubbish again.
Now it's autumn, and the last tough flavourful basil leaves need to be either picked or sacrificed to the cold nights. I think I'll make the last pesto of the summer on the weekend.
