Friday, August 1, 2008  Green Pea and Mint Pesto with Pasta
Every spring my parents have a long argument about what to do
with our backyard. Since no one is ever really home to tend to
it, the grass withers each year and dies away, leaving a
progressively balding expanse. My mother argues for replanting
the grass and raising the property value. My father argues for
growing useful things like fruit and vegetables. This year they
came to a relatively happy compromise. Mint. Spearmint
specifically.  Mint is quite hardy, surviving this July's
incredible 192.3 mm of rain as well as the hot, dry days.
Further it grows like a weed, spreading quite widely. As it
stands it has taken over one side of the yard and is threatening
to spread further. While this makes my dad ecstatic, it leaves
my mother and I wondering what to do with all of it.  Last night
I culled some of our straggling lot and turned it into pesto. It
is actually deliciously simple, dairy free and can be quite
easily made after a long day of work. As a