I’d like to think that we have a “no basil left behind” motto in our kitchen.

You see, one time last year, we went to TJ’s to grab a few key ingredients for a dinner that we were preparing later that night; there was none to be found. Organic and non-organic basil were both MIA. Obviously, they just had not been restocked, yet.

Obviously not. Let the panic begin. There is simply no suitable substitute for fresh basil. It’s in a league of it’s own.

We went to the next grocery store. Found nothing. The knowledgeable TJ’s employee was right, the basil crop drought had left many stores in it’s wake, and thus short-stocked on basil.

Thank goodness we are in no such drought, these days.

All that to say, Lauren had whipped up a delicious fresh Caprese Frittata over the weekend (recipe coming soon), and there was still quite a heavy supply of basil in the fridge. After going through the uncertainties that the Basil Drought of 2011 evoked (<–might have made that up), wasting basil simply isn’t an option anymore.

What to do? Throw it all in the food processor and make some zesty pesto!

Here’s how (don’t blink, you might miss a step!):

Throw everything in the food processor and pulse the mixture together, while streaming in the olive oil.

Continue until desired texture (about 1 minute of pulsing), scraping down the sides, if needed.

And there you have it, friends, PESTO!

You can serve this tasty pesto over some pasta, or use as a marinade for vegetables or chicken.

We used it over spaghetti, grilled squash, wilted spinach and chicken parmesan sausage. It was quite a delicious meal and it was ready in no time!

Lemon-Thyme Basil Pesto

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients:

4 cups basil leaves

2 Tbsp lemon juice

3 Tbsp fresh thyme

½ cup toasted almonds, chopped

4 big cloves garlic, sliced

½ tsp pepper

½ tsp salt

¾ cup olive oil

¾ cup parmesean cheese

Directions:

Place everything in the food processor and pulse the mixture together, while streaming in the olive oil. Continue until desired texture (about 1 minute of pulsing). scraping down the sides if needed.

Serve with pasta or use as a marinade on vegetables or chicken, or use as a spread on a sandwich.

From the Little Yellow Kitchen,

Chrissy