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.

Both chives and cilantro taste like lawnmower clippings when dried. Blech! So I make chive butter, rolled into a log and popped into the freezer. Perfect for baked or mashed potatoes. Or on top of a steak or fish. You can also add some minced shallots. Cilantro I just toss into a zip bag and freeze. Squeeze the air out of the bag and it is less bulky in my over-stuffed freezer. Basil is also frozen this way. Parsley is dried in a dehydrator and then kept in the dark or the color will fade out. The micro method works too, or you can put a cookie sheet in the oven and dry them. Same for thyme, rosemary. (But I do bring the pot into the house for winter and can cut fresh. It sits in my living room.) Karen, dig up some chives, root and all, pot it up and bring it indoors. If they start to get lanky and floppy, shake the pot or put a fan on them to strenghten them. Now next season, you will have triple the amount in the ground to give to neighbors. In about 3 years, they will run and hide when you come by!

arkansas_girl, I don't recall exactly where I got the slide out cutting board/shelf but I'm sure it was one of the discount stores. Probably Kmart considering the time frame in which I got it. But wait a second, unless I ordered it from somewhere??? No I think I bought it in a store. I looked for some a year or two ago for a gift but didn't see them. I don't even know what you'd actually call it either. I'll try to take a picture of it, maybe someone else would know the "technical" name. And yes mustangs, I have a jarpop. I bought it at the grocery store for about $3 as I recall. I gave some as gifts after trying it out. It hangs on the frig along with my other gadgets like the strap wrench, putty knife, instant read thermometer and what not. Steamed TV dinners, huh? Hmmm. No, I think I'll have to pass! Back to tricks... Freezer bags make great ice packs. Fill with water, remove most air, freeze flat and as they melt they keep things from getting wet. A block of ice lasts quite a while too. I use them at summertime picnics and don't care if they get lost or damaged. An envelope or pouch set up by the door where you bring in mail (for me, it's the kitchen) is a great spot to stuff things you'll need for income taxes. As soon as it comes in, put it in the envelope and you know where everything is come tax prep time. I bought a fabric one that looks a little nicer than a plain envelope. Now I just have to put it up! I have a steel back door (firewall requirement by code for attached garage) so a magnet clip is perfect for holding outgoing letters and other things I need to remember. I put a little shelf on there to put gloves, hold some change, car keys, extra garage door opener (that I use when I'm blowing snow or mowing grass, or blowing grass and mowing snow...)

There is SUCH a taste difference between bought pesto and home-made pesto, isn't there? By comparison, the bought stuff is tasteless and boring. Have you tried Sage Pesto, Parsley Pesto, Coriander Pesto, Red Capsicum Pesto, Dill Pesto, Lemon Balm Pesto, Mint Pesto, Lemon Thyme Pesto, Rocket Pesto, Rosemary Pesto, Spinach Pesto, Tarragon Pesto? Some recipes below. Why not try some basil variations - eg lemon basil, lime basil, liquorice basil, purple basil etc? Some recipes below. I recommend you try the stuffed mushrooms! Mediterranean Pesto 2 large garlic cloves 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves 1 tablespoon thyme leaves 1 tablespoon fresh summer savory leaves 1 tablespoon fresh oregano 1 cup fresh parsley leaves 1/3 cup freshly ground parmesan cheese 1/2 cup walnuts 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil salt and freshly ground pepper Combine all ingredients except olive oil in blender or food processor. Process to mix. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper and process to desired consistency. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Mixed Herb Pesto 2 tablespoons pinenuts, toasted 2 cloves garlic 2 cups torn spinach 3/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley 1/2 cup rocket leaves 1/2 cup fresh oregano leaves 1/4 cup fresh thyme leaves 1/4 cup minced fresh chives 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 1/4 teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Drop pine nuts and garlic through food chute with food processor on and process until minced. Add remaining ingredients except oil, process until finely minced. With processor on, slowly pour oil through food chute. Process until well blended. Store in refrigerator. Oregano Pesto 1/2 cup fresh oregano leaves 1 1/2 cups fresh parsley 6 garlic cloves 1/2 cup parmesan cheese 1/2 cup walnuts or pine nuts 1/2 cup olive oil Combine oregano, parsley, garlic, cheese and nuts in food processor. Process to blend. With machine running, slowly add olive oil. Season to taste and process to desired consistency. Serve with tomatoes, zucchini or eggplant, or add a little Parmesan cheese and serve over pasta. Coriander Cashew Pesto 12 cloves garlic, chopped 9 loosely packed cups coriander, 3/4 of the stems removed 3 cups basil 1 cup chives 3 cups spearmint 1 heaped cup roasted cashews 1/2 cup unseasoned rice wine vinegar 1/2 cup seasoned rice wine vinegar 600ml cream salt and white pepper to taste Process the garlic, coriander, basil, chives, mint, and cashews while slowly adding the vinegars. Heat the cream in a small saucepan. Transfer the herb mixture to a bowl and stir in the hot cream. Season with salt and white pepper. In the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container, the pesto will keep for 6 weeks; in the freezer, it will keep for 6 months. Pesto Stuffed Mushrooms Wash and dry large mushroom caps carefully. Chop mushroom stems very fine and mix with equal parts of basil pesto and dry...