Appreciation post: that pesto recipe my coworker swore by finally clicked

I spent 2 years thinking homemade pesto was a waste of time because my first batch tasted like bitter grass, but my coworker kept insisting I was using the wrong basil after she saw me buy it at the big chain store. Last weekend I grabbed some from the farmers market in Portland and followed her advice to toast the pine nuts first, and now I cannot stop putting it on everything. Is there another ingredient like basil where the source actually ruins the whole dish or was I just unlucky with my first bag?

2 comments

2 Comments

avery2199d agoMost Upvoted

Honestly, do you think farmers market basil just has less bitterness in general?

vera_lewis29d ago

@avery219 I swear it's like how store tomatoes are bred to survive shipping instead of tasting good. Farmers market basil is usually picked way closer to when you buy it and grown for flavor over shelf life. Makes a huge difference when you're making pesto or just tossing it on pasta.