garden to table - pesto or green sauce for pasta

out we go to the herb garden for basil and parsley.

side note: while living in australia and south africa, i picked up the british pronunciation of 

the words herb (pronouncing the "h") and basil (with a short "a") and find i just can't shake it.

nevermind, it suits paul who pronounces them that way and...well...it feels lekker good.

my guess is that we are going to have our first frost in the next couple of weeks

so i want to use up my basil before this delicate plant
 is unusable (turns dark and grumpy in the cold).

my mother sent me a pesto recipe around 1990.  at that time, neither my mom nor i  

had ever heard the word pesto.  the recipe is entitled green sauce for pasta.

strange thought, green sauce, but i was game.  as with the rest of the world,

one try and i was sold.  green pasta sauce it is.  how did we ever get along without it?

green sauce for pasta

2 cups spinach leaves, washed but not dried and packed firmly

1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, washed but not dried and packed firmly

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup walnuts

1/2 cup pine nuts

1/2 cup grated romano cheese

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons fresh basil (or more, yes please)

1/2 cup margarine (remember, this was the early 90's)

1/4 cup olive oil (I skip the margarine and use 3/4 cup olive oil)

1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients in blender or food processor.  Blend on high until mixture is almost pureed but still has flecks of spinach and parsley.  If too thick, add a little water.  

Toss with 1 pound of hot cooked pasta.  The heat from the pasta warms the sauce.

have a lovely weekend.