The Impossible Dream?

Some things are just not meant to be. For instance, Pat Paulsen will never be President. The Cubs will never again win the World Series (they actually did it once - 1908). On a more personal note, I am not meant to have one of my favorite pasta sauces - pesto. During the past 12 month period, I have been foiled 3 times. The first time was just bad timing. I got the taste for pesto in the middle of winter. I trotted down to the local supermarket that always has fresh basil, only to find a few really scraggly bunches at about $2 a bunch. Since I just had to have it, I bit my lip and plunked down the cash. I got home only to find that my food processor didn't feel like processing food, and by the time, I had replaced it, the basil had died a rather undignified death in the produce bin.

This led to disappointment #2. The following spring, I decided to outsmart the grocer. I would grow my own basil and make up a big batch of pesto in the summer and freeze it for later use. I purchased 8 basil startings at the grocery store for 99 cents each. I carefully planted them in the perfect spot with the perfect amount of sun light and tended to them with loving care. I watered them, I pinched them back to encourage vigorous growth, I picked bugs off them, and I talked to them in a loving and inspirational manner. But, no matter what I did, they just didn't flourish. In fact, it was not uncommon for me to go out in the morning and find half of a plant wilted and in the process of turning black. This was a mystery to me until one morning when Polo, our Old English Sheepdog, wandered over to the basil patch instead of the weeds to "relieve" himself. I watched my beloved basil wilt beneath his steady stream. I immediately understood that the neighborhood dogs had, day after day, decided that I would not have pesto. They were right. After my discovery, neither The Husband nor I could bring ourselves to use the remaining basil.

This leads us to disappointment #3. I watched the basil prices at the store until they reached a low of about 89 cents a bunch. I ran to the store and purchased all they had. Then, rushed home to make pesto. I successfully made about 6 cups of pesto. I divided that into freezer containers and safely stored it away in the freezer for use in the dead of winter. I can't tell you the joy I would get each time I opened the freezer to the lovely sight of all that pesto just waiting for the right time to be savored.

Unfortunately, the right time didn't come soon enough. We arrived home today after a week long vacation to find a refrigerator full of foul smelling spoiled food. Some time during our absence, the power went out. When it came back on, it blew the circuit breaker on the surge protector into which the refrigerator is plugged. Luckily, Charlotte, our wonderful pet sitter, noticed that there was a problem and was able to save a good portion of the meats before they defrosted. However, she had no way of knowing that the items that I treasured the most were those little round containers of "green stuff" on the top shelf.

Since pesto isn't just for pasta:

Pesto Sauce
Makes 1 cup.

3 packed cups fresh basil -- washed and dried
8 cloves garlic -- peeled
3 teaspoons pine nuts
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1/3 cup olive oil

Place pine nuts in a shallow baking dish and broil until lightly toasted. Be sure to watch the broiling process so that they do not burn. Depending upon your broiler, this will take 5 to 10 minutes. Place all ingredients into a food processor. Blend until well chopped, but not liquefied.

Pesto Pork Chops
Serves 2.

2 pork chops -- 1/2 to 3/4" thick
1 tablespoon pesto sauce
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup bread crumbs

Rub pesto sauce into all side of pork chops. Allow to sit for 2-4 hours. Melt butter in a sauce pan. Blend in bread crumbs. Press bread crumb mixture onto the top and side of the chops. In a preheated 425 degree oven, bake for 20-30 minutes. You may need to cover with foil to prevent over browning of bread crumbs.

Twice Baked Pesto Potatoes
Serves 2.

2 large russet potatoes
1/2 cup pesto sauce
3 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese -- shredded

Wash potatoes and coat skins with oil. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Remove (take care and use oven mits - potatoes will be hot) a slice on the top of the potato. Carefully scoop out potato meat retaining potato skins intact. Mash removed potato meat. Add pesto sauce, milk, butter, and cheese. Stuff combination back into potato skins. Return to a 350 degree oven for 15- 20 minutes (until they reach serving temperature).

Pesto-Cheese Rolls
Serves 4.

1 package crescent rolls
pesto sauce
ricotta cheese

Separate crescent rolls into 2 sections of 4 triangles. Roll out sections onto a baking pan. Spread with pesto sauce and then ricotta cheese. Roll into a long (jelly-roll). Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven until brown (15-20 minutes).