What’s better than getting fresh herbs from the garden?  When someone takes those herbs and makes pesto for you!  The chef instructor from our Cooking Matters class made homemade pesto for the last day, and I got to take some home.  She used a traditional mixture of basil, olive oil, pine nuts, and Parmesan cheese.

I came home yesterday famished, and mixed together a quick dip using 1/2 cup of ricotta cheese, 1 tablespoon of pesto, and 1 tablespoon of Parmesan.  The taste was mild but I loved the creaminess of the ricotta.  Pesto is often paired with goat cheese, but this dip feels so much lighter.  Of course, I ate too many crackers and dip and spoiled the dinner I was supposed to make, but there’s always tomorrow.

• appetizers