From the Beginning to the End

Part of homesteading, trying to "do-it-yourself", or even trying to eat healthier, less processed foods require learning to start from the beginning and taking it to the very end.  Here's an example.  We've always loved pesto and make container after container of the stuff, freeze it, and eat it all throughout the year.  It is delicious over pasta or eaten as a dip.  Here is the link from a previous post that shows you how to make it: How to Harvest Basil and Make Pesto.

Now you can purchase pesto from the store, or you can purchase basil to make your pesto, or you can purchase basil seeds and grow your own.  While there is nothing wrong with the former, we prefer the latter. Then you can save the basil seeds and grow basil every year thereafter.  The stuff grows quicker than weeds or our Federal Deficit.  I have a number of basil seedlings that are popping up right now in some containers. Once they put on their true leaves, I'll transplant them into the garden. The seedlings you see below are the beginning.  The end result will be pesto or seasoning for pizza, spaghetti, and other Italian dishes.

The Beginning

As the link above showed you how to harvest basil and make pesto, you still have to serve it over pasta. Prior to last year, we had always bought pasta by the box or in the bag, but we found out that making pasta is super easy.  We use spelt flour, but you can use any flour, I would assume.  All you need is 2 cups of spelt flour, 3 eggs at room temperature, a little salt, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Stir all ingredients and knead until it all comes together.  Voila!  Pasta Dough!

Pasta Deaux

We don't have a fancy schmancy pasta maker.  Tricia picked this one up on clearance from a discount store. It gets the job done.  Essentially, you run the dough through the rollers to stretch it out.  Then you run it through again using a different roller to make different sized pasta.  Today, we're making regular spaghetti pasta.

We're rolling in the dough!

When you crank it through the device after removing the rollers, it cuts the pasta dough into whatever type pasta you want to make.  You'd think this might take a long time, but it doesn't.  From flour to pasta in just a few minutes.

From dough to spaghetti

Then we move it right into a pot on the stove top full of water and cook like you normally would pasta.

Homemade pasta in the pot

Add a little salt and check on it from time to time, but it won't be long until your homemade pasta is done and you can pour it into a colander to drain off the water.

It's done!

Then we grab a bowl and heap mounds of pesto on top of the freshly made pasta, which serves as a delivery mechanism for getting the pasta to your mouth.  Since our basil plants are just seedlings right now, we thawed out a container of frozen pesto from last summer and warmed it on the stove top.

Fresh pasta and pesto 

I mix it up real good to get the pesto flavors all commingled with the pasta and we thank the Good Lord for His provisions...

A nice, easy, delicious meal

And Supper's on!  From beginning to end, this is an easy, delicious meal containing mostly ingredients either grown and/or processed right here on the farm or in Tricia's kitchen.