Home Cook: Supe's Pesto

Supe Granda

I’ve always had a green thumb and, being a Capricorn, feel most comfortable with my fingers in the earth. As a songwriter, many songs have come to me while I’m digging in the mud and mulch. I love growing herbs—one of my favorites being basil. I enjoy the planting, nurturing, pruning, observing and harvesting of this beautiful, fragile plant. As a bonus, all summer long Julie (my wife and owner of the Butter Cake Babe Coffee Café in the Nashville Farmers’ Market) and I eat fresh basil salads.

I started making pesto many years ago. The recipe is quite simple—basil, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, shredded (not grated) parmesan cheese and pine nuts. I use the olive oil sparingly, to create a paste-like texture, which I can spread onto bread. If I want to use it on pasta, I can always add more oil.

Some folks experiment with different nuts and spices, but I prefer the traditional mix. When the time comes to process the plant, it goes from my garden to my blender and into my freezer in less than ten minutes. I put the pesto into individual servings that I can thaw and enjoy throughout the winter—this gets me through the spring, when I start the whole process over again.” — Supe Granda

Supe has played with the Ozark Mountain Daredevils for forty-five years. He also plays Silly Grandpa and locally with Los Dudes (you can catch them at Brown’s Diner). Check out a video of Supe making “Hippie Pesto” at ediblenashville.com/pesto.

Do you know a home cook that has a special recipe?

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