Italian Pesto

I also had a fair bit of Italian basil in the garden and made some more traditional pesto for the freezer as well. I generally use walnuts instead of the traditional pine nuts because they're less expensive yet still work well. But pine nuts are mighty tasty, too. Use good quality olive oil here--you can taste the difference.

6-7 cups loosely backed basil leaves
2-3 cloves garlic
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup walnut pieces, lightly toasted
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more as desired
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until fairly smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Add additional oil if desired.

To freeze this, I divided it in half and put each portion in a quart-size freezer bag. I spread it fairly flat and put it in the freezer. The large amount of surface area will make it faster to thaw (in a bowl of warm water) when I want to use it.