You might want to make a double batch of this pesto sauce because it's sure to be a hit! It's brought to us (and told in his own words) by our own Marty N. 

Ingredients:

• fresh basil (organic if possible)
• 3/4 pound chunk Argentine Parmesan
• pine nuts
• fresh garlic
• olive oil
• tofu (optional)

Marty says:

The secret of a memorable pesto is the cheese and the basil.

The best cheese I've found is a bulk Argentine Parmesan. It has real character. The plastic prepackaged wedges of domestic Parmesan or Romano in the supermarket don't have much flavor. Don't buy
pre-ground Parmesan, it's close to tasteless. When I can get the Argentine Parmesan, I buy a chunk that weighs about 3/4 lb. Exact proportions aren't important with pesto.

Great basil is hard to find. At the height of summer you can find basil that's bright green and in flower or almost in flower, with a fragrance that knocks you out. The leaves have tiny crystals of sap on the  underside. Try to find a bunch that's organic and free of dirt and dust.  The ideal is a bunch that you can use without having to wash it. Washing kills half the flavor. I once made pesto with basil that had a bit of fine dust on it, and the flavor was awesome, if you didn't mind a little grit.  But even a washed springtime basil can be quite tasty; I served it after the 2004 Congress in Berkeley and it got good reviews. Pinch off the leaves, discarding the stems and any flowers. 

Pine nuts are expensive, but you only need about an ounce (a small handful). In an emergency you can substitute sunflower seeds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, or even peanuts, but you lose that "resiny" pine nut flavor.

I like to add two or three fat segments of fresh garlic. This gives the sauce more bite.

The olive oil you use will add its undertones to the mix. I like a garlic flavored olive oil but any good grade of olive oil will do. You can add
salt and pepper, but I prefer not to.

OK, now that you have the ingredients, let's get to work. This only takes about three to five minutes using the Cuisinart or a similar food
processor.  Set up the machine with the standard large rotary knife. 

Cut the cheese by hand into chunks no larger than an inch on a side. Be sure to cut off and discard any wax rind on the cheese. With the machine running, drop the cheese chunks into the bowl.  Splash a  bit of olive oil in as a lubricant.  Hang on to the machine tight, as it will clatter and jump about. Keep cutting and adding oil until you have a whitish-yellowish cheese paste or slurry. 

Add the garlic segments (if you use them) and the pine nuts. Run the machine until these ingredients can't be distinguished any more in the mix.  Stop the machine. Add all the basil leaves at once, and run the machine again, adding more olive oil as required, until the slurry turns green. Try not to run the machine longer than necessary to save as much of the basil's cell structure as possible. 

That's it, it's ready to serve.  Pour it and scrape it into a serving bowl and serve immediately. If it has to wait for a while, cover it tightly with plastic wrap to delay surface darkening. If it does darken, stir it before serving to freshen it up. 

If you want to really stretch this sauce and make a great sandwich spread out of it, add half a package of soft tofu to the food processor before adding the basil.  No one will suspect that the tofu is there, and that they're getting this protein bonus with their spaghetti sauce.  After refrigerating overnight, you will have a firm light-green
sandwich spread that's irresistible to pesto lovers.

Enjoy!
                  ~Marty N.