We are stupid, certifiably. August has almost passed. We have a garden full of basil. Yet, we have neglected to make fresh pesto. Not even once. Never. Certain things in life rank as inexcusable, and this is one of them.

You may never forgive us. We understand that truth. Last night, though, we embarked on the long road to redemption. We prepared a vat of fresh pesto. We substituted walnuts for pine nuts and added some oregano from our bursting garden. It’ll feed us all week. We may even share.

In an article published three years ago, we wrote: “Pesto is simple and beautiful. Its primary ingredient, basil, grows like a weed in the summer heat. With one lively plant, you can dine weekly on fresh pesto. Basil’s sweet, slightly menthol flavor mixes divinely with rich, buttery olive oil. And, the other ingredients – garlic, pine nuts and cheese – are no taste slouches themselves.”

We said it right then; we can do no better now. Like our writing, pesto is timeless. So, without further ado, we’ll share our latest recipe.

Walnut Basil Oregano Pesto

Ingredients

• 2 cups of packed basil leaves
• 1/4 cup of oregano leaves
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup of olive oil
• 1/2 cup of walnuts, soaked
• 1/2 cup of grated Pecorino Romano cheese
• Course sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste.

Directions

Soak walnuts in water for 30 minutes. Drain. Add the basil, oregano, garlic and walnuts into a food processor or chopper. (We use the KitchenAid 3.5-cup Food Chopper). Press the pulse button three to four times. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides. Pulse twice more. Slowly pour olive oil into the machine while intermittently pulsing. Add the grated cheese. Press the pulse button a final time. Season with salt and pepper.

Fresh pesto makes many a meal better. Last night, we added a heaping tablespoon to a bowl of chicken sausage soup. This morning, we had it in our breakfast tacos.

For a simple lunch, we enjoyed whole wheat angel hair pasta tossed in walnut basil oregano pesto. We added grape tomatoes from the garden and freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. All delicious.