The first time I had basil mayonnaise was over 10 years ago, when I bought a jar of it to try out at Williams-Sonoma. As soon as I tasted it I was hooked! It was my new favorite thing to spread on bread and use in sandwiches.

Unfortunately, after I had been buying it and using it for several years, the company that made it discontinued it. I tried another brand but it just wasn’t as good. Basil has been growing really well in my garden the last few years, so I decided to try making my own basil mayonnaise. And it’s really good. I like to spread it on crusty bread and top it with tomatoes. It makes a good veggie dip, too. And you can make it in practically no time!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BASIL MAYONNAISE by NancyC

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3-1/2 cup basil leaves, firmly packed (the more leaves you use, the stronger the basil flavor–I make it with 1/2 cup!)
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder (optional)
• dash of salt and pepper,  or to taste (optional)

Put the mayonnaise, basil leaves, and lemon juice in a blender or small food processor; blend until smooth (you may still have some small bits of basil in the mayonnaise if using a blender).

Add in garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste, if desired, and blend well. Use immediately or store in a small container in the refrigerator for future use.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You can make a great sandwich by spreading two slices of bread with the basil mayonnaise, then topping one of the slices of bread with slices of tomatoes and some mozzarella cheese. Place the other bread slice on top, and cut in half.

If you like basil and pesto, you’ll want to try this out!