Pesto

(I'm writing this on my phone, so sorry for the typos!)
Pesto probably makes you think of basil. But there are lots of different pestos, and they're all  equally simple to make. "Pesto" comes from the french "pistou," which means paste. almost anything can become the base for a pesto. Like most things I post here, it's not a recipe. It's a method. :) The one I made today is herb. I've got a bunch of herbs in my yard. this pesto included some leftover basil, the stems from a bunch of parsley (I dried the leaves for something else), tarragon, dill, thyme, lemon balm, onion chives, garlic chives, and savory. Chop & throw in a blender. basil pesto usually has pine nuts/pignolis, but I had some leftover walnuts in the freezer, so I chopped those up. I also grated in about a quarter cup of parmesan. add olive oil while blending until it is a loose paste. Ta da! For tonight's use, I added a few handfuls of cooked leftover edamame (shelled, boiled, and salted soybeans) just to give extra richness. I'm using this pesto on tilapia, and want to give some extra depth to this lean fish. You can use any of the following to be the base of a great pesto: basil, herbs, spinach, sundried tomato, black beans, sweet carrots, or even beets. add whatever herbs go well with your "base." for example, if you wanted to do carrots, add coriander and cumin. for beets, add chervil and dill. for black beans, add cilantro, parsley and green onion. Try something you like to eat, and play around with it. add nuts and grated cheese and oil. That is it! Easy, versatile, and a fun experiment. If you find a combination you love, please add it in the comments section!