Basil Pesto

From The New York Times recipe. We also have a more recent pesto recipe that Jeanne likes.

Ingredients

2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts or walnuts
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesean cheese (1/4 C)
1-2 t lemon juice

Directions

Blanch the basil

Bring a medium-size saucepan full of water to a boil while you rinse basil leaves.

Fill a bowl with ice water and place it next to the saucepan with a skimmer close by (a Chinese skimmer is good for this).

When water comes to a boil, salt generously and add basil leaves. Push them down into the water with the back of a skimmer to submerge, count to five, then remove immediately with skimmer and transfer to ice water.

Drain and squeeze out excess water using a salad spinner.

Place pine nuts or walnuts in a food processor and process until finely ground.

Add blanched basil and kosher salt to taste (I use 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon) and process until finely chopped.

Add lemon juice and pulse a couple of times to blend.

With machine running, slowly add olive oil and continue to process for a full minute, or until the mix is reduced to a fine purée. Transfer to a bowl. You should have about 1/2 cup of purée.

When you are ready to use the pesto, purée garlic in a mortar and pestle, or put through a garlic press, and stir into the pesto (or if using a mortar and pestle, add the puréed basil to the mashed garlic in mortar and work garlic and pesto together with pestle).

NOTE: Others freeze pesto with the cheese in it. No more than 6 months.