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There is no greater crowd pleasing herb than basil.

It’s sweet and savory and has recognizable and powerful flavor.

Around here, we love basil so much we use it in place of lettuce on sandwiches and burgers. When it comes to preserving basil there are the options of drying it or freezing it, but as a mom with a full time job, a garden to tend, and a host of sports events to schlep my kids to, the most efficient and beneficial way for me to preserve my garden harvest is to create a dish with it, make extra, and then freeze it. That way I have ready-made, flavorful and interesting family meals waiting for me when I most need them.

Before we ever had a garden, I talked my husband into buying a deep freezer. He was convinced it was a huge waste of space and money and an excuse for me to become a food hoarder. But after seasons at U-Pick farms collecting gallons of berries and peaches, and joining a seafood CSA, he soon found great value in that freezer.

Now we love that freezer. I use it to freeze quarts of soups and casseroles, homemade ice cream with real fruit, freezer jams, and best of all, pesto. We have stacks and stacks of 8 ounce containers of both basil and mint pesto. When in a bind for dinner, I cook up some spaghetti, defrost and add the pesto, and throw in a dash of additional olive oil, lemon juice, and some black pepper.

It’s so delicious, kids don’t know it’s actually spinach pesto!

This kind of manipulation is the only way I can get my kids to eat spinach. Tuscan, or baby or some other kind of tender kale would work too.

Here are some tips:

• I use a lot of basil for this recipe. The amount of picked basil in the photo above is how much I use. You can half or quarter it, if needed. I’m admittedly not a huge fan of precise measuring, so go slow with things like garlic, lemon, olive oil, and salt…keep tasting it as you go along and adjust it to how you like it.

• After picking and destemming it, I soak it in ice water. It kills of any tiny buggies and hidden creatures and it perks up the basil while also cleaning it.

• After I finish soaking and rinsing the basil, I use a salad spinner to get all the extra water out so it doesn’t impact the pesto flavor.

• I use a pretty big food processer to make my pesto, but if yours is smaller, try adding the basil and greens in batches. Each time you blend it, it will break down, and then you can add more.

• I start with less olive oil and add to taste. Start with 1/4 cup and add more as you go.

• Nutritional yeast is my secret ingredient. Trust me. Don’t skip it!

Be sure to leave your comments below if you try this recipe and let me know what you think. I appreciate the feedback!