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Foodies: Pesto Help
Back Story: There's this sandwich place in my hometown with all these fancy sandwiches. I don't do fancy, though, so I fell in love with the only thing that looked appealing to me on their menu:
Pesto, Provolone, Tomato, and sprouts on rye (I think?)
I love it and only have it there... until Saturday when a friend and I ordered out from this great sandwich & salad place. They had all the ingredients, but I forgot the tomato and asked for foccacia bread instead (love it). Again, amazing, similar result.
So now I've been craving it and decided to make it for my lunch today. At the grocery store, though, where I had hoped to find some pesto paste or sauce, the only pesto I could find was an envelop mix. It was awful.
So, I should just make it from scratch. Could you please share with me pesto spread recipes?
Also, you should try the sandwich! 
(Even bunny can eat it!)
Re: Foodies: Pesto Help
pesto's great to make at home - and in bulk... you can freeze it (into ice cube trays - it leaves you with nice little servings)... great tossed into red sauce for pasta.
the best pestos are simple. Basil. Garlic. Olive Oil. Pine Nuts. Parm. you can get fancier, but the simple ones are just delish.
proportions will vary, but it's a good idea to just kinda eyeball stuff.
this one looks about right:
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1818,154190-243199,00.html
I am the 99%.
If you can get to another store, usually the pesto in the refridgerated section is pretty good.
I usually do something like this basic recipe when when I make it:
Pesto Sauce
In a food processor, pound the garlic, basil, pinch salt, pine nuts and cheeses into a paste. Gradually blend in olive oil; adjust seasoning.
I usually add more garlic and more cheese, though.
No food processor. I think DH might have bought a blender...not sure.
(Tiny tiny kitchen!)
You will need one of the two to make your own.
you can hand chop it all... just do it tiny tiny tiny then whisk together with the oil.... you can make it a "rustic, handmade" pesto - - the foodies will love it!
I am the 99%.
And if you don't have either but want to get one, get a blender b/c it can do more things than a food processor and can generally handle smallish food processor duties. <----my unsolicited advice of the day.
Ditto this--it's definitely possible to do it without a food processor. ?Sometimes I do it just with a knife when I'm making pesto for a single sandwich and don't feel like washing the whole food processor. ?
Also if you don't have a blender or FP, or a lot of space, I love this little combo:
http://www.cuisinart.com/catalog/product.php?product_id=317&item_id=426&cat_id=8
Deductive reasoning isn't a conservative or liberal attribute. ~epphd
omg, that's so cool!
oh, it's an immersion blender! they rock. we have the krups version of the same thing and it's way cool...
I am the 99%.
I have definitely made pesto by hand before, back in the days of my own super tiny apartment with no appliances. You can throw the pine nuts and garlic in a plastic bag and whack them with a hammer to get them crushed up really fine.
I love pesto on sandwiches. Yum. I'm not a fan of rye bread though, so I won't be trying yours.
I have a recipe for sundried tomato-pistachio pesto in my blog if you want to get super creative.
Try it with foccacia bread!
I'm not a rye fan either.
Love the hammer idea. I DO have a hammer.
I have a blender and a food processor, and I just got an immersion blender. I have a tiny kitchen also, but I haven't let that stop me. I added a portable dishwasher (extra counter space) and a two-tier appliance cart on the empty wall, and every inch of counter space under the cabinets is full. I've recently started dreaming about the more space we'll have once we buy.
I may have to try this sandwich. We're still getting early girl tomatoes from our CSA, so I have a feeling they'll last well into November.
I don't think you understand how small our kitchen is. The counter space next to the fridge is just slightly wider than our small microwave...and we have to move the trash can to open the oven. See the counter space to the right of the sink? That's what I have for counter space:
We keep our larger appliances in a closet outside the kitchen.
I'd suggest going to Ikea and getting some of their kitchen space saver things. Shelves, hooks for hanging crap, etc. I know you've mentioned not liking Ikea, but they're genius with small spaces.
Done and done - they're full.
DH put 2 shelves above the stove. They hold our rice cooker, spice rack, george forman, toaster, and something else (can't remember)...cupboards above the sink are full of dishes, bowls, and glasswear, to the left above the sink are baking items and additional spices. The counter space to the left of the sink has our dish rack and knives (doesn't really fit -the dishrack sort of hangs over the sink an eensy bit), below the left of the sink are our mixing bowls and additional plates, then below the sink are cleaning supplies. The cupboards below the counter space have the bakewear, those below the microwave have the pots and pans, cutting board and collander, and all of our food goes in the cupboard above the microwave. We keep stuff we barely ever use above the fridge.