The very self same kid who will not let a strawberry pass his lips without academy award-worthy theatrics (clutching at his throat, gasping, spitting, BLECH!), found a new, and wholly unexpected, love this weekend.
Pesto*
Of all the things! Now, don't get me wrong, I think there are many things to love about pesto, but if you'd asked me, if you'd held up a strawberry and a bowl of dark green oily goo, and asked me which one my three year old would prefer... well, I just never saw this coming.
He loves the whole process. The picking (though this did nothing to help him love strawberries),
the whir of the food processor and the licking of the bowl! (He. LICKED the bowl, people!),
pouring into jars and scraping it over bits of english muffin.
He can't get enough. In fact, I have to fetch him out of the freezer (where our 4 lovely jars of green goodness reside) several times a day. I also have to beg him every time he goes out into the yard not to pick anymore basil, at least for now.
the whir of the food processor and the licking of the bowl! (He. LICKED the bowl, people!),
pouring into jars and scraping it over bits of english muffin.
He can't get enough. In fact, I have to fetch him out of the freezer (where our 4 lovely jars of green goodness reside) several times a day. I also have to beg him every time he goes out into the yard not to pick anymore basil, at least for now. "Please, honey, let the plants rest just a little while," I plead. "Leave them a FEW leaves. I promise, we'll make more when they grow a little." - this is my story, this is my song, begging him to leave the basil, all the day long...
And so, that poor little finger, the one who had no more pesto to scrape out of the bowl, the one banished from picking basil, found it's way into the Father's Day coconut cream pie. (recipe here. Although, I added a double batch of homemade whipped cream to ours :-)
Do you see that little smudge down front?
What's that they say about idle hands???
Yep.
Pesto:
2 cups fresh Basil leaves (pack 'em in there)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 cup Olive oil
3 TBSP pine nuts (walnuts will work too)
3 garlic cloves
Put the basil in the food processor and chop well.
While the processor is going, alternately add in a little bit of each ingredient (a little cheese, a little oil, 1 TBSP of the nuts, one clove garlic, and repeat) until you've added it all.
