Summer Recipe: Pesto

There's just something so lovely about herbs in the summertime, especially basil.  I love the smell and taste of basil; there's just something so comforting and familiar about it, and I definitely felt a sense of accomplishment when I went to cut basil from my back deck today to use for dinner:

My husband asked if I would make pesto for dinner, and I was happy to oblige.  It's easy, convenient, and delicious.  In the past, I've associated pesto with pasta -- specifically gnocchi or tortellini.  But in my desire to rid my diet of processed foods, pasta isn't a healthy or practical dinner choice.  So, pesto chicken seemed like the tastiest and best option.

When I went to our local market to purchase chicken breast, I was faced with an economical and ethical decision.  Did I purchase the boneless chicken breast at $2.99 a pound, only labeled with a barcode and a price?  Clearly, that conventionally, farm produced chicken was pumped with hormones, antibiotics, potentially fed animal by-products, and who knows what else.  Or, did I buy the hormone free, antibiotic free, pure vegetarian diet chicken with a price tag of $7 a pound?  After a brief debate, I opted for the latter.  Quality of food is important to me, especially when dealing with meat.  I don't want to put unnecessary junk in my body.  If I'm going to "eat the earth" and consume foods in their most natural state, that means paying attention to labels and how foods are produced.  It's easy to forget that a piece of clean chicken was once an animal, and the way in which that animal was raised could potentially have a profound affect on my own health.

This afternoon, I cut my basil, and prepared all necessary ingredients:

Pesto:
-1/3 cup (organic) olive oil
-1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (this will definitely make it cheesy, which I love.  Scale back a bit, though, if you want it "less cheesy")
-1 garlic clove, minced
-2 cups fresh basil
-a sprinkle of black pepper
-a dash of sea salt (optional, since the cheese is pretty salty)

Place all ingredients in food processor; blend for 15 seconds.  Mix around as necessary; process again if needed.  Voila!  Pesto is ready.  My husband grilled the chicken and an eggplant, we cut up the chicken into bite sized pieces, and I mixed the pesto into the chicken for a little pesto chicken salad.

It was a delicious dinner, and perfectly eaten on our back deck as the sun went down.  Enjoy!