Small Batch Basil & Sunflower Seed Pesto

I was reading an article the other day about the fragrance that the largest numbers of people consider to be their number one, and that was vanilla. I can’t say that it is not high on my list, but, in my case, my number one most favorite fragrance is that of pesto in the making. There is something about basil being whirred around in a food processor that makes me positively heady. August is the time of the year when there is much pesto making at my house. Because I make it in small batches, and because I always have a good bit of basil growing in my deck garden, I tend to make it once a week. I ran myself out of the nuts that I generally use, so this time decided to make a rather bold (at least I thought it was bald) substitution in sunflower seeds. I absolutely love the result! I also like the fact that sunflower seeds are something I can grow on my own so that next year I will have not only fresh basil, but fresh sunflower seeds as well, making this dish nearly fully organic, and cost-effective at the same time. If you haven’t tried it, you absolutely must!

Small Batch Basil & Sunflower Seed Pesto

 6 cloves garlic peeled

¼ c. roasted, salted sunflower seeds

½ c. grated Parmesan cheese

½ t. kosher salt, more or less

3 c. fresh basil leaves, packed

1 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice

Few gratings freshly ground black pepper

¾ c. good olive oil

 Place all ingredients EXCEPT the olive oil in a small food processor and pulse until blended. With the machine running, add the oil in a fine stream. Process until pesto is smooth.

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