Sweet basil pesto with seeeds

Redolent with sun drenched summer days, I love sweet basil! Traditional genoese pesto includes pinenuts, but I’m certain the peasants who first tossed this together would have found them lying around in the pine forest and would not have used them if they had to pay $10 for a tiny bag like we do. Sunflower or pumpkin seeds are cheaper, and you can grow your own if you are keen on cracking them open.

Chop a couple of big handfuls of basil roughly and pound/blend/whizz (depending on your implement) with 2 cloves of finely chopped garlic and 1/4 cup olive oil until a rough paste is formed. Add 2-3 tablespoons pumpkin or sunflower seeds and 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese and give it another blast until it is as smooth or chunky as you prefer. You can loosen it with a tablespoon of water if it is too stiff. Taste and season with lemon juice and sea salt until the flavours are perfectly balanced. Lemon juice will help prevent it turning brown.