Title: Pesto, Basil - Lou Seibert Pappas
Categories: Sauce Herb Cheese Ethnic
Yield: 34 Servings

2	c	Basil leaves, fresh; packed
3	tb	Pine nuts, Walnuts or
		Pistachios
2		Garlic cloves; smashed
3	tb	Cheese, Parmesan; freshly grated
1/4	c	Oil, olive extra virgin

In a blender or food processor, place the basil, nuts and garlic. Whirl until finely minced. Add cheese and oil and process until blended. Transfer to a small bowl, cover and chill.

To prevent the discoloration of basil pesto, be sure that the basil leaves are dry before you puree them, and pour a thin layer of oil over the top of the pesto to keep the air out.

George York, food preservation specialist with the University of California Extension in Davis, also suggests adding about 1 teaspoon of lemon juice for every pint of pesto to counteract the browning.

"The recipes are so simple and fast to do. When I was developing them, I often had four or five different pestos on the table. They made a party." With a nod to today's concern about nutrition and lighter eating, Pappas scaled back the amount of oil in the classic formula; instead of a half cup or more of oil per every two cups of herbs, she suggests three tablespoons or less. She also cut down on the amount of cheese and nuts. "I tell people up front that the nuts are truly optional," she says.

Pappas made her first pesto when she worked at Sunset Magazine in the late 1950s.

From "Food Day" in the Daily Review, by Paula Hamilton, Food Editor, July 6, 1994 and "Pesto" by Lou Seibert Pappas, Chronicle Books $9.95 typed by Dorothy Hair 7/7/94

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