Thursday, April 12, 2012

The last pesto.







We spent this late afternoon in the kitchen garden. Him pulling out the last of the summer greens, digging the beds over and planting a bit of garlic. Me knitting some rows of rib on his new brown beanie. It was a glorious warm, autumnal afternoon. The air was sparkly and clear. The girls were busy inside. All felt good in our little world.

When the day started to grow cold he came to me by the window and handed me a bouquet of basil he'd just picked. The last of the season he told me.

So we went inside and whipped up some pasta (100grams of flour and one egg per person plus one extra yolk) and some pesto (we use Stephanie Alexander's recipe).

It was a celebration fit for the last bunch of basil. Only made better with a slice of Farmer Bren's sourdough. Yum! Did I tell you he's been talking to his starter? He has! But I'm not interrupting him because whatever he's doing is working, it's delicious.

For those who asked, he's been working from this great book.

I love it when a meal comes together like that. I love feeding our family food that was plucked from the garden not even half an hour before it was served. I love that my kids know the recipe for pasta by heart. I love homemade pesto so, so, so much.

Like we used to say when we were growing up Pesto is the besto!!!!

Happy days.

How are things with you?
What's your besto?

Lotsa love. x

30 comments:

  1. We are addicted to making home-made pasta too - and that is the recipe I use.... I find that much pasta feeds us for two nights though... might try 300g and 4 eggs next time! xx Rach

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  2. Oooh, lovely. I think I've got one more left in my crop.

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  3. Oh! That is the book my boy uses and he is making the BEST ever bread from it. He is working up to making his own starter with an eye to peaking at making his own croissants.

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  4. I LOVE the river cottage sourdough!!! just discovered it! And I have big plans for some pasta tomorrow. Pesto is the besto is likely to stick in my mind for days. Or forever. Thanks lovely! Here's to you five xxxxx

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  5. Oh I think I'm putting that book on my list now. I was only thinking tonight as I mixed up a no-knead batch of bread that I'd like to try mixing a sourdough starter (which has to be the complete anti-thesis to no-knead bread). I had a miserable failure a few years ago and I haven't attempted it since.
    We had our last pesto pasta last week and I'm hanging onto a few scant leaves for some pasta with tomatoes tomorrow night. I use Stephanie's recipe too. It's a good one.

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  6. never made homemade pasta. looks so yummy :)

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  7. Hi Kate, home made pesto totally rocks our world too...great photos as always. This looks like a beautiful meal!

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  8. It's my turn today. The last of the tomatoes to be roasted and the last of basil for pesto. If only I could pluck up the guts for sourdough, sigh. Enjoy your weekend.

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  9. That really is a season end marker!

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  10. what a happy day you've had :) love being able to follow along. Beautiful x

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  11. Yum! Pesto really is the besto. My kids love it. We have lots of basil in the garden at the moment - might be just the thing for dinner tonight! I love that you made pasta too! My machine is getting dusty in the cupboard.... it is school hols though and perhaps you have inspired me to pull it out! Like you - it is the BEST feeling to make dinner from your own produce!

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  12. I think I need that book...my starter seems to be alright until the third day in then all turns sour.
    Pesto made fresh from the garden can't be beaten!
    x

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  13. I LOVE pesto, hubby uses Stefanie's recipe too and I could eat it by the jar!!

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  14. WOW. You are living the dream (my dream). I am a country girl married to a city boy and we live in "suburbia" USA. I'm just praying for a few hens in my backyard! I love you blog and thank you for sharing your adventures with us.

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  15. I've made bread and yeast products for very many years now and I have that book. It is absolutely the best book on bread that I've seen over the years and I've had many books. Fresh pesto is amazingly good.

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  16. Looks delicious! Love fresh home-made pesto!

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  17. I was so happy when I clicked on the link to the book for the bread to see it was the River Cottage one because I ordered it over a month ago & have been patiently waiting for it to arrive. Fingers crossed it comes soon....

    We bought a pasta maker last week & plan to give it a go this weekend. I think I'll use your recipe- how many does it feed?

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  18. The River Cottage episode on bread was on telly a couple of weeks ago so it all seemed so timely that Farmer Bren started to make his own Sourdough!

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  19. So I have been the worst blogger in the world lately...you've probably noticed that. But think I'm finding my feet again - I'm excited to be reconnecting - I thank instagram for that:)

    Pesto on the weekend it will be. Thank-you:)

    xx Tam

    ps. you know the best bit is seeing your [my] little message about replying I had forgotten all about that! LOVE.

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  20. That just looks so good! My (organic) pesto comes from a jar ... I don't have the space for a veg garden and plans for an allotment fell through so I don't have much choice just now. I shall just have to get my fresh pesto fix from gazing longingly at these photos :D

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  21. Oh my! You have made me impatient for the first of the basil which is weeks away now! Basil is something that makes my heart pound with joy, as is homemade pasta and bread! Gorgeous photos!!

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  22. Absolutely divine! Of course, now I have ridonculous cravings!

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  23. love love love basil - what a wonderful life xo

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  24. I just pulled some sourdough pesto scrolls from the oven :-)

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  25. Heavens above! just discovered Foxs lane - first time rambler down your street of UTTER DELIGHTS - honestly blogs like yours are what make BLOG world absolute HEAVEN! I'm putting the kettle on so I can backtrack down the archives and take it all in! Thank you!! XX

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  26. Wow... that looks so incredible! I love it. Must try it. Thanks for the inspiration Kate. Kx

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  27. You are my inspiration.Mmm...... pesto.I love home made pesto.Looks yummy. sell my house

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  28. Oh what a lovely blog you have. I make sourdough from that book too and it is amazing. http://growingkiwis.blogspot.co.nz/2012/03/bread.html if you want to check it out. The splits in the bread have opened up so much more now that I shape it properly and make the oven super hot to start with.

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  29. Hi Kate, I have been enjoying your blog for close to a year now. I am inspired by your creativity and love to read about what you and your family have been up to, what a great way to document life, I'm sure you're children will look back on these memories with much joy in years to come. I have just asked my aunty to help me learn to crochet, I am keen to learn a skill that may be lost if not passed on, I will then teach my daughter to do it too. I hope that you are keeping warm and cozy in this very cold Winter. Best wishes, Amanda

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Thanks so much for stopping by...

I do read every single comment you leave and appreciate it very much, but I should let you know that I can be a wee bit on the useless side when replying to comments, that's just me, everyday life sometimes gets in the way....so I'll apologise now, just in case.

Kate XX

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