Pesto is not just for pasta.

Somewhere back in the archive is a photograph of an old laundry double sink of the type that our grandparents used. It’s in the back garden and herbs grow in it and occasionally flowers or vegetables. Next to it is a terracotta pot of a similar size. Both are planted with basil, which thrives in the concrete and struggles in the terracotta. Apparently terracotta sucks water out of the soil. The five plants of laundry sink basil are one foot of spreading sheeny green canopy and the three terracotta ones are dry-edged and struggling. 

I removed the top half of the sink ones. They’ll redouble in days. Into the blender followed by shredded Parmesan, a couple of garlic cloves, a large handful of pine nuts and a small flood of olive oil, enough to make the blended fragrant mixture run slowly, like a green glacier.

You don’t cook this stuff. It will burn. Just spoon it over the steaming pasta and let the eater fold it through. Or serve it on halved, waxy, smooth boiled potatoes with sour cream; or on sourdough toast with layers of avocado and a poached egg on top and hollandaise over that. A favourite is post-mixed with fried onions piled onto the meat in a burger.