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Susie Mawhinney's avatar

"But if you stay in the game, you can dance even when it seems that the dancers have all gone under the hill."

I love the hope in those words!

I love the love in your recipes!

I am terribly late for lunch Mary, forgive me.

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<Mary L. Tabor>'s avatar

Love to you, Susie, always!

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Susie Mawhinney's avatar

🙏🏼🥰

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Imola's avatar

I love this Mary!! Pesto is one of my favourite 'fast foods' as well! And yours looks absolutely gorgeous. Much love from Budapest

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Del's avatar

Food and love. The perfect pairing! And so uniquely done here!

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<Mary L. Tabor>'s avatar

Lovely!

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Ollie Redfern's avatar

Mary, I'm going to give this recipe a go and share with you pictures. I'm curious, though, about one ingredient: corn. Any particular tips.for preparing it before it's added?

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<Mary L. Tabor>'s avatar

For fresh corn husked, bring the water to a boil with salt. Put the corn in, add a lid to the pot. Turn off the heat. Corn will be ready in 5-7 minutes and may be left in the water without overcooking: What a surprise! Add butter, salt and even pepper to the cooked corn cobs: enjoy! This trick I learned long ago. Let me know if you try it!

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Ollie Redfern's avatar

Will do! Have saved this post. :)

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Jeffrey Streeter's avatar

Beautiful mix of food and poetry, Mary.

I have to avoid garlic these days, which takes the shine off pesto somewhat. But I was recommended to try pesto with soba noodles recently, so I may give your recipe a try for that. As for love, fortunately that's always there...

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<Mary L. Tabor>'s avatar

Grand idea, Jeffrey: Adapt the recipe. Basil, such a summer delight. And poetry adds the love.

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Jeffrey Streeter's avatar

Yes, poetry indeed adds the love!

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Mary Roblyn's avatar

Pesto! Poetry! The delightful Mary L Tabor, and the wine of the gods. “Chiffonade” may be my favorite cooking word of all time. A fresh, light recipe with thyme. Something new to me. Thank you for sharing this on a perfect summer day.

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<Mary L. Tabor>'s avatar

Ah, Mary, we share the love of that word "chiffonade." Add the thyme also to the pasta water. I sometimes add a few panko bread crumbs to the pesto mixture--as well. Celebrate summer with this meal and poetry: the essence at its core.

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Liz Gauffreau's avatar

Oh, I do love pesto! (And romantic love, of course.)

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<Mary L. Tabor>'s avatar

We are paired in love of summer pesto and romance and the lyric phrase. xx

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Kimberly Warner's avatar

Delish! And I agree, “many are making love.” All we need to do is open our eyes and turn away from our screens and news cycles. We just spent ten days on a Midwestern lake and every second of every day the insects and loons and bass and birch were all tangling with their lovers and beloveds.

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<Mary L. Tabor>'s avatar

Oh, I love this little story of your trip, Kimberly!

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Maureen Doallas's avatar

How did you know I love pesto?!

(When traveling with my sister in Italy, we made a point of visiting Cinque Terre, which I had been told had the best pesto available. It was delectable, a lovely connection to place.)

Every recipe should be written as yours is, Mary, especially when served in a pretty ceramic bowl and finished off with a kiss.Although I am back to creating for just one now, I will be sure to dress my table with the lovely ceramic piece I ferried along the Italian and French Rivieras, through the Loire Valley, back to Paris, and home to Arlington.

I'm sure I will happily be browsing your recipe file.

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<Mary L. Tabor>'s avatar

What a delight. May put a photo of your beautiful bowl in notes, Maureen? Let's share ceramics that make the food taste better because of presentation! Isn't pesto its own little miracle.

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Maureen Doallas's avatar

I added a photo, Mary.

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Ellen Kornmehl MD's avatar

Yes - we should cook in pairs- it shouldn’t be a solitary effort- kiss kiss

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<Mary L. Tabor>'s avatar

Love cooking in pairs. xx to you, Ellen, whose wonderful recipes come from your site!.

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Untrickled by Michelle Teheux's avatar

Yes, but also: In the fall, when the season is nearly done, make a huge batch of pesto with all your remaining basil. Freeze it in gallon freezer bags in such a way that all winter long you can break off a small piece of it. Use your frozen pesto for pasta but also to mix with mayo as a sandwhich spread -- fantastic on toasted ciabatta with grilled veggies.

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<Mary L. Tabor>'s avatar

What a grand idea Michelle. I grow basil and at end of summer, that must be done as the basil dies in winter in LA whereas the rosemary continues to grow like gangbusters.

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Untrickled by Michelle Teheux's avatar

I live in central Illinois and have to bring my potted rosemary inside. I’ve got to have fresh rosemary all year for braised white beans! I’ve not had luck growing basil indoors, though.

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Susan Campbell's avatar

Pesto for dinner tonight - thank you for the inspo! More importantly, thank you for the reminder of the privilege of being, as it is indeed, just that. ✨🥰

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<Mary L. Tabor>'s avatar

Ah, Susie, here you are with your loveliness. "Privilege of Being" -- one of my all time favorite poems by Robert Haas, U.S. poet laureate from 1995 to 1997.

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Lor's avatar

Mary, your wonderful writing, mixed with all of my favorite ingredients!

Adding a “chiffonade of basil”, and a sprinkle of words on top, now it is a masterpiece. I cannot think of a better combination. While my Basil and Thyme is looking lovely, I am trying to sing to my tomatoes hoping it might speed them along to the finish line; red, ripe and juicy. Thank you, Mary!

( ooh, just noticed at the end, “Table of Contest”, though that’s not a bad idea🤭)

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<Mary L. Tabor>'s avatar

Lovely, Lor. Ah, singing to tomatoes. I must try that. Let me know how your pastor turns out.

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