Traditional Pesto

Makes 1/2 cup

This is great all by itself on a piece of freshly baked bread, or as a garnish for soups or pasta. Or you can mix it with halved cherry tomatoes for a wonderful, simple salad.

ingredients

One bunch fresh basil leaves (reichan)
1 clove of garlic, cut into thin slices
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tablespoons pine nuts
a pinch of salt

directions

Place the basil leaves in a bowl of soapy water to clean, rinse thoroughly. Discard any leaves with black spots. Grasping the bunch by the stalks, cut it into strips with a scizzors directly into the bowl of a food processor with metal blade. Add pine nuts, salt and the galic slices and puree, adding the oil through the feeding tube until a smooth paste develops.

notes

Since the basil is a free vegetable, one need only take into account the oil and pine nuts. One tablespoon has about 71 calories, less than one from carbs.

Source: Shulamith