AUGUST 26 • 2021 | 71

FOOD
FROM THE HOME GARDEN OF CHEF AARON EGAN

W

hile my plants 
appreciated the 
rain this summer, 
we could have done without the 
flooding throughout the city.
The herbs I 
started this season 
are springing up 
to their mature 
heights. I’ve got a 
couple varieties of 
basil, mint, parsley 
and even tender 
marjoram.
With any amount of basil 
growing in your garden, let alone 
any other fresh herbs, you’re 
always presented with a huge 
amount of greenery to harvest. 
One of the best ways to preserve 
the fresh flavors of these herbs is 
to create a pesto. 
While the classic Pesto 
Genovese contains Genovese 
basil, extra virgin olive oil, two 
grainy grating cheeses (parmi-
giano and pecorino), pine nuts, 
garlic and salt, there are other 
variations that can be explored, 
and the fundamental basic com-
bination of oil and fresh herbs is 
the key.

BASIC PESTO RECIPE
2 cups fresh herb leaves, 
packed in snugly
⅔ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic
kosher salt + fresh black pep-
per to taste
Additionally, you can add:
¼ cup lightly toasted nuts (try 
blanched almonds if you’re aller-
gic to tree nuts like me)
½ cup grated parmigiano, 
pecorino or grana padano (or 
other piquant aged, grated 
cheese)

1. Combine all ingredients in a 
food processor or blender and 
process until smooth and well 
combined.
2. Transfer to an airtight storage 
container; use promptly.
3. To prepare container; seal 
tightly.

VERSATILE PESTO
A classic basil pesto will be deli-
cious on pasta as a simple dish 
or as a component on a larger 
plate; it’s also an excellent com-
plement to fresh tomatoes from 
your garden. 
 Parsley pesto is delicious on 
dishes with dark, rich flavors for 
a bright finish, especially around 
Passover. 
 Cilantro pesto, fortified with a 
little lime juice, brings the flavor 
for Mexican dishes — or, togeth-
er with lemon juice, it isn’t out 
of place in the Sephardi culinary 
repertoire.
Mixing your herbs up is also 
always good: Basil pesto can be 
stretched and amplified with 
some amount of parsley (¼ or 
⅓ of the total herb amount, for 
a start); and a pesto of fine herbs 
(parsley, chervil, chives and tar-
ragon) brings intensely French 
flavors to the plate. Experiment 
and preserve the fresh tastes of 
summer for later enjoyment. 

Chef Aaron blogs about his garden on 

the Facebook page of the Isaac Agree 

Downtown Synagogue. Reprinted with 

permission.

Chef Aaron 
Egan

Preserving 
Your Herbs

 JANUARY 2  2020 | 
 71

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