Basil and Macadamia Pesto

We are harvesting the first macadamias of the season, and by the look of our trees it will be a good year. And the basil is going off in my garden. Traditional cuisines are all built on things that are in season together, but I wonder if that is all there is to it. It’s amazing how often things that taste good together are in season together. I wonder if there is some law of nature, sort of like the Golden Ratio is to design?

With macas and basil both on my kitchen bench, it had to be pesto. This tub cost just a few cents for the parmesan and the olive oil. We had it on a pizza topped with roasted pumpkin, capsicum, olives and bocconchini.

The Recipe

Super simple.

I like to lightly roast the macadamias in a dry pan first. Roughly chop and roast for just a few minutes, shaking the pan so they roast evenly.

Blend together:

• 1/3 cup roasted macadamias
• 2 cups loosely packed of basil leaves
• 30 grams of grated parmesan
• 1 or more cloves of garlic
• a good pinch of salt
• 1/3 cup of good olive oil or macadamia oil
• if you like it a bit spicy, half a chili

Taste and add more salt if it needs it. Best if it sits for an hour or two to mellow, if you can wait that long!