Basil overload

The recent heat wave (read: delightful warm, sunny days) kicked my basil plants into overproduction. I'm not ready for them to bolt, so a serious shearing was in order. After a judicious pruning they're back under control, and two giant basil bouquets have been decorating the kitchen for a few days.

Outside of caprese salad, I don't eat much basil. This put me in a quandry, the plants were taking up too much counter space. You see where this is going don't you? Yes, yes it is. But rather than making pesto, I made its Provencal cousin, pistou. (Pistou doesn't include any nuts)

The recipe I used goes much more lightly on the oil than many other recipes I've encountered. I used extra garlic and found the resulting spread to be eerily reminiscent of the pesto served at Carrera's Cafe, the long-gone neighborhood cafe that was my second home in my twenties.

Pistou

3 cups basil leaves, packed
3 large garlic cloves, pressed or finely minced
4-6 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 C grated asiago
1/4 C grated parmesan
1/2 tsp salt

Prep all ingredients first: discard basil stems, press or mince the garlic, grate the cheese and measure the salt and oil, so that everything can move at once.

In a food process bowl sandwich the garlic, cheese and salt in between the basil. Pulse gently until a rough paste forms, then add the oil in a slow stream until the desired consistency is reached.

Yield approx 1 cup