I finally got around to making pesto with macadamia nuts instead of pinenuts. What was I waiting for? I found the flavor and texture both amazing. I love pesto, always have, and I love to play around with the herbs that I use when I make it. To be able to brighten it up even more with dehydrated macadamia nuts? Perfect pesto!

Today’s pesto had two types of basil, some celery leaves, oregano,  lemon thyme, garlic chives and some mint. I like to wander around the gardens and greenhouse with a pair of scissors and a two cup measurement, and just pick what looks and smells nice until it’s all filled up.

I added all of the herbs (carefully removing any stems), a handful of Parmesan cheese, a pinch of salt and pepper, a squeeze of lemon, an ounce of our Nuts in the Nude to a food processor. Whir it up on the chop setting, then drizzle a good olive oil until it’s the consistency I like. I’m using this on a sandwich with fresh baked  bread and smoked chicken, so I made it pretty thin so I wouldn’t overpower the other flavors. But then I also ate some with a spoon … it was so good!

I use pesto a lot — on pasta, on pizza, on sandwiches. I’m planning to serve it in our new kitchen, and am thinking of making a pesto of the day, because I can never make it the same way twice! If you visit the farm stand right now, I’m doing a lot of taste testing. Yesterday someone offered me cash money to take my sample dish with them. It really did come out nicely. 🙂