May: pesto season in Liguria

In Italy, especially on certain days of the week in towns throughout the country, you can find markets which sell fresh and local produce and they’re really great places to shop.
You can mix it with the oldies who’ve been going for years and know all the secrets about who’s got the best cheese, or the freshest vegies or the crustiest bread.

Our colleagues at Gustoblog have done their homework for the month of May and discovered that the best dish around, especially in Liguria, is pesto.
And the essential ingredient is basil, preferably from this region of Italy.
So how do you make Genovese pesto?First of all the traditional accompaniment is potatoes and beans, always bearing in mind though that the Italians are very serious about their cooking so don’t get too imaginative.

To reinforce this, just last month the World Pesto Mortar Made Championships took place in Genoa, Liguria’s capital (hey why not get yourself a nice marble Mortar to get fit for next year Championsip?).
Here’s how to prepare a good pesto.