First comes gardening, then comes cooking

     Anyone who knows me knows I've never been a fan of cooking. However, as my passion for gardening has slowly intensified so has my love of creating dishes with the items I've grown. Tonight I tried out a simple basil recipe (see recipe below) which my husband will use for our vegetable pizza that also includes fresh squash from our garden. It's pretty exciting to see the entire growing process from seed to table.

     This evening we planted more pumpkin seeds in hopes that they will supply us with a few treasures for Halloween. Our first batch of seeds only yielded one sprout and it's been a chore to protect it from the dogs. We used some pieces from our previous chicken run to block off the pumpkin patch. I love when I can creatively reuse some odds and ends and though this little gate isn't the prettiest, it does keep the dogs out. Hooray!

   Simple Pesto Recipe

1 cup packed basil leaves (fresh)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons pine nuts

Mix the first three ingredients in the Cuisineart using the pulse feature for a few beats

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons of minced garlic
pinch of salt, pinch of pepper

Add the olive oil while the Cuisineart is on, adding it slowly. Then add remaining ingredients stopping a couple times and using a spatula to scrap down the contents of the bowl.

Voila, pesto! Use some and freeze the rest for a winter treat.