Delicious Pesto and Lovely Spoons

The garden is a bit in between now. The June show is over and I’m waiting for the later flowers like phlox and asters to brighten it up again. The roses have been lovely but are past their best except for two lovely potted ones near the house. There is usually a small flush of later flowers at the end of summer though to look forward to.

A few pansies are still presenting their cheerful little faces to the sun.

Almost time for the tree fruit to have its day. The soft fruit like strawberries and redcurrants have passed their peak. The strawberries have been abundant and delicious but I leave redcurrants for the blackbirds. They seem to enjoy them so much, if the clucking sounds are anything to go by, as they strip the glowing red fruit from the bushes. But the fruit is so beautiful. Worth having if only to look at.

The apples and pears are growing nicely. The pear trees, unfortunately, have pear rust on the leaves. It’s a fungal infection. The fruit seems fine though. In a few weeks time we’ll be snowed under with the crops.

A few more pretty things are dotted here and there around the garden.

Herbs have done well with the heat. Thyme, marjoram and mint are flowering now and the butterflies will soon be attracted to them. The basil has grown really strongly in the greenhouse. Great for salad with bread cubes, olives and tomatoes but it also makes delicious pesto.

When I first tasted pesto it was from a supermarket jar. I hated it and thought I’d never eat it again. Then I grew some basil and realised it had a pleasing flavour so I decided to try making my own pesto. Much better but I don’t like pine nuts which most recipes include and I don’t see why I need Italian cheese. So I made my own version which we really like and is so easy to make. Here is my version.

Basil Pesto

A good bunch of fresh Basil leaves
100g Cashews
120g Lancashire Cheese
5 tablespoons of Olive Oil
Garlic clove, crushed
Salt & Pepper

Wash the basil and trim off any stalks. Dab dry on
kitchen paper.
Grind the cashews in the food processor. Add basil, garlic,cheese and salt and pepper. Whizz to chop finely.
Add the olive oil and whizz to blend until well combined.


Freezes really well in small containers. Good stirred into pasta, on a baked potato, new potatoes or crackers. I use Lancashire cheese a lot for cooking. It crumbles so it's easy to mix in and it has a good creamy flavour. I don't use cheddar for pesto because it has more fat and would make it too greasy combined with olive oil. Cashews are also a favourite because they're versatile and blend well with other tastes.

When I cook I like to use a favourite old spoon. I bought it with a similar one at a boot sale. The traders did house clearances. They had lots of old cutlery which I’m fond of. Charity shops often have a good selection as well.

I like the look of the old silver, the shape and the feeling of perfect balance as I hold it.

All spoons are pleasing. Although they’re something we take for granted as something we see every day, when you think about it they’re a perfect example of form following function. In other words their shape is dictated by what they do. A good spoon has a bowl and a handle which fits well in your hand. You can’t really mess about with other shapes without spoiling the performance of the spoon. I like their appearance too and some of mine have interesting handles. Here’s a selection.

Old berry spoons are lovely too with their bowl impressed with the shape of fruit. Of course you do have to keep shining them up, unlike stainless steel, but they look very appealing.

I have lots of wooden spoons too but I’ll save those for another day. Kitchen stuff is so fascinating.

Finally, here are two lovely moths we found this week. Sadly, one has a damaged wing. Both new to us and beauties.

Bit of a ramble this week. I hope you’re still with me. Feel free to comment. I love to hear from you. Bye for now. With you again soon.