You can make pesto with just about anything! Try spinach, for instance, or any of the following, or use herbs in combination. Use different nuts for a flavour change. Use the following recipes as a guide only, adding imagination! Coriander Pesto 30g coriander leaves 90g parmesan cheese 90g toasted hazelnuts 4-5 tablespoons olive oil salt and pepper to taste Process the coriander, nuts and cheese until smooth. With the motor of the processor running, gradually add the olive oil until well combined, then season to taste. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving with pasta, or as a dip. Sage Pesto 1/2 cup fresh sage leaves 1 1/2 cups fresh parsley leaves 2 garlic cloves1/2 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. Lemon Thyme Pesto 2/3 cups parsley, chopped 1/4 cup pine nuts 1 tablespoon ground dried thyme or lemon thyme 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/4 cup olive oil (or more) salt and pepper In processor, blend first 5 ingredients until almost smooth. With machine running, gradually add oil and process until smooth. If pesto is dry, mix in more oil by spoonfuls. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made ahead. Press plastic wrap onto surface of pesto. Cover and refrigerate up to 2 days or freeze up to 1 week. Bring to room temperature before using.) Thyme Pesto 1 1/2 cups fresh parsley 1/2 cup fresh thyme 4 cloves garlic 1/2 cup parmesan cheese 1/2 cup olive oil 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/2 cup pinenuts Wash parsley and thyme and allow moisture to dry and leaves to wilt slightly. Grind in food processor. Peel garlic and grind in food processor. Mix all in a bowl. Store fridge in glass jar. Basil Mint Orange Pesto 1 cup fresh basil leaves, firmly packed 1 cup fresh mint leaves, firmly packed 1/2 cup walnuts 2 tablespoons orange juice 1 teaspoon finely grated orange rind 2 garlic cloves 1/4 cup olive oil (or more) salt and pepper to taste In a processor, blend first 6 ingredients until almost smooth. With machine running, gradually add olive oil; process until smooth. If pesto is dry, mix in more oil by spoonfuls. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made ahead. Press plastic wrap onto surface of pesto. Cover and refrigerate up to 2 days or freeze up to 1 week. Bring to room temperature before using.) Red Capsicum Pesto 90g sun-dried tomatoes 1 1/3 cup red capsicums, roasted and chopped 1/2 cup Kalamata olives; pitted and chopped 1/3 cup Italian parsley, chopped 1/3 cup basil, finely chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar salt and pepper to taste Put the sun-dried tomatoes into a bowl and pour boiling water over them just to cover. Leave them to soak for 20-30 minutes. If using tinned capsicums, rinse and drain them well, and blot them on paper towels, then chop them finely. Combine them with the chopped Kalamata olives, the chopped fresh herbs, and the minced garlic. Drain the tomatoes, reserving the water, and press them gently in a colander. Pulse them in a food processor until they are finely chopped. Add the olive oil and vinegar, pulse again, scraping down as needed, until no large chunks of tomato are left. Combine the tomato mixture with the other ingredients, mix well, and season to taste with salt and pepper. If the pesto is too thick, moisten it with a few drops of the reserved tomato water. Asian Pesto 1 cup oil 1/2 cup peanuts 2 small green chillies, seeded 1 tablespoon chopped ginger 4 garlic cloves 1 1/2 cups basil leaves 1/4 cup mint leaves 1/4 cup coriander leaves 3 tablespoons lemon juice 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon sugar Heat oil in a frypan until nearly smoking, remove from the heat and add the peanuts. Allow to sit until lightly browned. Remove the nuts with a slotted spoon and drain, reserving the oil. Put the peanuts in a food processor or blender and blend to a rough paste. Add the chillies, ginger and garlic and continue to blend, Add the herbs and a little of the reserved oil, and continue to blend. Add the salt, sugar and lemon juice, and blend until the herbs are very finely minced. Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl and stir in the remaining oil. Serve alongside warm or cold noodles. Dandelion Pesto 2 cups tightly packed dandelion greens 1-2 tablespoons dried herb of choice (basil, thyme, savory, or others) 2-3 cloves garlic, crushed 1 cup sunflower seeds 1/2 cup olive oil 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese Add each ingredient one at a time in a food processor until completely blended. Drizzle in the olive oil to allow it combine thoroughly. Slow add the parmesan cheese. Fold the mixture into cooked pasta. Add diced black olives, fresh diced Roma tomatoes, diced fresh mushrooms and/or diced Zucchini if desired. Dill Pesto 2 garlic cloves 1 tablespoon grated lemon rind 2 cups parsley 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill leaves 1/4-1/2 cup olive oil 2 teaspoons lemon juice In a blender, blend the garlic and lemon rind until minced. Add parsley and dill. Blend until finely chopped, scraping down the sides of container as needed. Then, with blender running, slowly add the oil and blend to a smooth paste. Blend in the lemon juice. Spoon into serving dishes. Use as a dip for carrot or celery sticks if desired. May be frozen. Parsley Pesto 1 large bunch Italian parsley leaves 1-2 cloves garlic 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons olive oil Put all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Delicious served with chicken or fish. Rocket (Arugula) Pesto 2 cups rocket leaves 2 garlic cloves 1/4 cup parmesan cheese 1/4 cup olive oil 1/8 cup pinenuts, toasted Blend the rocket, garlic and cheese together in a food processor until smooth. Slowly add olive oil and nuts. Blend until desired consistency. Serve spread on a pizza crust, topped with cheddar cheese, onions and fresh tomato slices. Or toss with cooked pasta.

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!

Kathleen, you know me and jars! I just can't seem to get enough of them and have to fill 'em up with something! But the Plum-kissed Pear Butter is really good and I'm thinking about adding it to the "Great Hit Recipes" thread over on Harvest. Of course I have NPFJP (No Patience for Jell Point) so I make butter instead of jam. Lou, the skewered chicken breasts are such a great idea. Also putting bacon on top...how wonderful and Joe would love it! OH Stacy!! Your Spinach Brownies are for sure a keeper!! Kathleen thanks for finding and posting the recipe!! Dixie, Oh how I wish I had a pot or 2 of my Great Grama's. You are so fortunate! Memories add such a unique flavor!!!!!!!!! Kathleen, the pizza is perfection!!!! Sharoncb...oh my, your pork tenderloin looks so good and this is one recipe I've been meaning to try too. Nancy, how are you going to preserve the basil? Pesto? I tried Maryanne's salt method for some basil about a month ago and so far so good. I have to admit, I made some of Nancy's Peach Cherry Salsa last night and OMG is it good. Sorry Nancy I could not wait for you to post the recipe so I winged it. But all I can say, is OMG...OMG...OMG! You've got to think up a catchy name for this one! How about Nancy's "Wild about Cherry Peach Salsa" or "Cherry Wiz Salsa"? I've got my apples cooking for Apple Maple Butter and I found more delicous MI peaches yesterday so the fruit flies are back. Michelle

+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.