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What do you do when your non-Italian varieties of basil take off like crazy? (This picture is post trimming!) Particularly super fragrant Asian varieties? My front herb bed is out of control with basil. This past weekend we go so much rain that it toppled everything over and into the walkway. I was concerned that if I didn’t trim thing would start to rot. So yesterday I went out with the clippers and trimmed the heck out of things.
I got about 2 1/2 packed cups of basil of 4 different varieties. None of it is the classic Italian style though. That is the one variety that has refused to perform this year. Normally I use basil in a bunch of Asian dishes. 2 1/2 cups is a lot to use though and it doesn’t keep well. When I have a surfeit of Italian basil I make pesto, but these varieties don’t really lend themselves to a classic pesto.
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So I decide to see if there was an Asian take on pesto I could make instead. I found a recipe from Cooking Light that fit the bill. The best thing about it is it is easy. Put the ingredients in the food processor and blend. The site recommends using it as a topping for meat or tossing it with rice noodles. I’ll probably try both seeing as the basil will undoubtedly need another serious haircut in a couple weeks.