The recent rain perked up my basil plants, prompting me to make a couple of batches of pesto to have on hand to toss with pasta, spread on croustades or to spoon over thick slices of tomatoes. Pesto, as you probably know, is a sauce that originated in Genoa, a region in northern Italy. It consists of crushed garlic, basil, pine nuts, olive oil, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and, sometimes, Fiore Sardo, a cheese made with sheep's milk. The trick to making a pesto better than the ones you find in supermarkets is to hand chop the ingredients and to use a marble mortar and wooden pestle to mash together the cheese, garlic and herbs. Of course, it's quicker to put everything in a food processor or...
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