You can make pesto with just about any leafy herb. To begin with, you might like to make a combination of, say, basil and oregano to see if you like it. Or use a recipe like the one here: http://www.hugs.org/Oregano_Pesto.shtml Or here: http://www.recipetips.com/recipe-cards/t--2624/six-herb-pesto.asp Sage Pesto 1/2 cup fresh sage leaves 1 1/2 cups fresh parsley leaves 2 garlic cloves 1/2 cup pine nuts or walnuts 1/2 cup parmesan cheese 1/2 cup olive oil Combine sage, parsley, garlic, cheese, and nuts in a food processor. Process to mix. With machine running, slowly add the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper and process to the desired consistency. Excellent tucked under the skin of chicken breasts or mixed with pine nuts and fresh bread crumbs and stuffed into game hens. Mint Pesto Brownies 6 tablespoons butter 60g unsweetened baking chocolate 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 cup flour 1/4 cup mint pesto Preheat oven to 180C. Lightly butter the bottom only of a 20cm square baking pan. Melt the butter and chocolate together until smooth. Stir in sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla then lightly stir in the flour. Turn batter into prepared pan. Pipe lines of pesto going one direction and then run a knife through the lines in the opposite direction to swirl. Bake for about 25 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. For best results, allow to cool completely before cutting. Mint Pesto: 1/2 cup macadamia nuts 2 cups fresh mint leaves, packed 1/3 cup honey 1 tablespoon vanilla In a food processor, briefly chop the nuts before adding the remaining ingredients. Puree until reduced to a paste. If not using right away, transfer to a glass container, lay plastic wrap over the top so it is touching thus keeping air from penetrating the pesto. Store in refrigerator for up to a month. Use as a filling for sandwich cookies or mix some into chocolate sauce for ice cream or cake. Serve pesto over vegetables, especially tomatoes, eggplant and zucchini. Use it as a sauce on meats and seafood. Add a little pesto to soups or cheese spreads. Toss pesto onto cooked pasta as a sauce. Add to the cheese filling in lasagne. Mix equal parts pesto with sour cream or plain yoghurt for a vegetable dip. Spoon some pesto onto a baked potato and top with extra Parmesan cheese Stir a little pesto into mashed potatoes along with a little warmed milk. Spread pesto on toasted bread and cover with tomato slices. Halve tomatoes and spread with pesto; let marinate for 1 hour; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and eat cold or grill. Add pesto to mayonnaise or sour cream, use as a dressing for seafood, pasta or potato salads, as a dip, or topping for baked potato. Spread pesto on bottom crust for tomato tart, quiche or pizza. Add a dollop of pesto to omelettes or frittata. Stir a little pesto into a finished risotto. Stir a spoonful of pesto into vinaigrette for salad, or into dressing for grilled vegetables, bean salads. Stir a little pesto into soups such as minestrone, zucchini or lentil. Marinate chicken or lamb in 2 tablespoons pesto, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and pepper for about 2 hours; brush with additional marinade when grilling. Brush some pesto on refrigerated crescent rolls, roll up and bake. Use pesto to fill small mushroom caps, top with breadcrumbs and bake. There must be a squillion sites in WWW-land with assorted pesto recipes, and ways to use them. Like Marlingardener, I'm more of a herb butter fan. Try serving a herb butter on a steak!

The jalapeño are the early variety this year. I'm not real impressed with them. This is the second time that I have grown the variety and I remember feeling that way before. Usually, I have jalapeño m. That might be the "standard," don't know. What I would like to get away from is the tough skin on both of these. Of course, a little better production would be nice ... The little hot Thais establish a presence in anything they go in. I can't really expect them to have more peppers since the plants are so small. One pepper per 3 leaves ... I really should count since it seems like the plants are giving it their all. The peppers developing in the greenhouse if few are looking nice. That is kinda what I expected since tenderness seems to be characteristic of hothouse plants. I'll be able to put some in front of the camera soon as they are definitely ripening. Wonder how easy it will be to get in there for picking since the plants are big but there is little room between the center posts and the south wall. Usually, I feel this way but with the plants taking so much room, I'm a little claustrophobic! Watering is now throwing water over the center bench since getting in front of the bench while dragging the hose looks like a recipe for ripping peppers out of the ground. Steve

PricklyPC, I am having an issue that I now have to wear belts dramatically cinched on my "fat pants" but also regaining the ability to wear some of my other pants. I'm really having trouble because I need a few new clothes but can't decide whether to buy my thin size or fat size. I have always been on the border between two sizes . . . so it depends on the cut. But before my weight loss, I was finding myself firmly in the higher size. I don't know which way I am going to swing over the long run . . . I know for sure that I have to keep my weight down for health reasons, so hopefully that will motivate me to keep saying "no" to so much food . . . it's no fun, but then neither is being sick all the time and being in the hospital for all these invasive procedures.

+again for frozen, with oil to prevent burns. The lemon sounds like a decent idea as well, though it may alter the taste a bit for certain applications. Other ideas -- Soupe au Pistou can work with pesto instead. of pistou (no nuts). It works well in parties and gatherings. 0Or just make a minestrone and add a dollop on top. I make pizzas with it as the sauce, with toppings of mozzarella, ricotta and roasted pepper s (onions or grilled eggplant work too) I make Samin Nosrat's lasagne recipe and instead of chopped basil I stir in pesto (I may cut back on the salt). It works with the frozen stuff quite well.