Oct 3 Foodie diary: The magic of pesto
If you have a backyard full of basil ready for picking (or you're tempted by lush, fragrant bunches at the market), why not make a few batches of Basil Pesto? For optimum flavour, it's best to use fresh ingredients so pick the basil just before using and buy fresh cheese and nuts.

In the Test Kitchen, we look forward to whirling up pesto every fall. It's super easy to make and contains some favourite ingredients: garlic, nuts and Parmesan cheese. It's wonderful dolloped on chicken or fish, drizzled over sliced tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella, added inside a vegetable panini, tossed with hot pasta or stirred into tomato soup.

Pesto freezes well and is fabulous to have on hand during those dark winter months when fresh herbs are expensive and bland). Freeze it in 1/2 to 1 cup/125 to 250 mL) containers (perfect for one meal) or even in ice-cube trays (perfect for single servings).

Test Kitchen tip of the week:
Wine for pesto-based dishes: Basil pesto needs an acidic wine to offset its oiliness. To bring out fruit in the wine, try Verdicchio (Italy), a light and fruity white wine with a lemon acidity that cleanses the palate. Or play up the herbaceous notes with Sauvignon Blanc from a cool climate such as Sancerre (Loire Valley, France), New Zealand or Canada.

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