Even of Midyear

I got outdoors this afternoon and accomplished a couple of things I’d been putting off:  re-planting the jonquil bulbs and edging the yard.  The jonquils had been waiting for me to get the soil conditioner and fertilizer worked into the bed, so when I got that done this week I didn’t have any more excuses.  After doing the jonquils, I realized I don’t have room to put the schoolhouse lilies in the same bed, because both need full sun, and only part of the bed I was using has full sun, so I’ll have to see what I can do about working with the bed underneath my south bedroom windows (the room has windows both on the south and east).  It’s horribly overgrown with grass and weeds, but so was the jonquil bed when I started.  It only requires perseverance to root the weeds out and turn in some soil amendments; then I can get the oxbloods in place and reclaim the piece of kitchen counter they’re taking up.

While I was in the garden yesterday evening, I decided to top some of my basil plants, to get some harvest from them and to encourage them to leaf out more, and by the time I’d done washing and stemming all that I cut, I had eight cups of leaves and the kitchen smelled like an Italian restaurant.  The only way I could think of to use that much basil was to make pesto, so today that was what I did, using my favorite pesto recipe out of The Nero Wolfe Cookbook.  I had enough basil to make a quadruple recipe, which means I had to go out and buy half a pound of Parmigiano (because I can’t get Canestrato in Austin), three-quarters of a pound of calves’ liver, and a pint and a half of olive oil.  The pesto turned out delicious, as always, and since it’s very thick I’m sitting here using chunks of bread to scoop it up like a dip—and that’s dinner tonight.

IL PESTO

Sauté the liver in the butter; when cool, remove from pan and chop coarsely.  In a blender or food processor combine the basil, garlic, walnuts, chives, cheese, salt, pepper, and a quarter-cup of the olive oil.  Blend at low speed until a purée consistency is achieved.  Slowly add the remaining oil, blending at low speed until the oil is completely incorporated and the consistency is that of whipped cream.  Add the liver and blend another five seconds and no longer; the texture of the liver should be discernible.

Serve as a spread for crackers or as a sauce for spaghetti; if the latter, increase the oil to 1½ cups.

* Canestrato is a very hard white grating cheese, that sometimes contains black pepper.  Substitute true Parmigiano Reggiano if you can’t get it.

— The Nero Wolfe Cookbook