Amorous pesto (feta dip)

"The starting point for this recipe came from a Canadian contributor to the Aphrodisiacs Exchange. As usual, we began experimenting and, after a while and many attempts, came up some possible modifications. The dip mix can be used, e.g. as a pesto sauce. A similar dip mix has also been included in our collection of favourite recipes."
Recipe by: moËra

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Preparation Time:

20 Min

Serves:

Difficulty:

Easy

Cost:

Main Ingredients:

150 grams feta cheese (preferably in brine)
1 bulb and 1 clove garlic
2 grams fresh basil (6 4-cm leaves) or 2 grams fresh cilantro (coriander) leaves
50 grams pine nuts
1/2 - 1 tsp saffron - optional!
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or 3 tbsp creme fraiche (sour cream)

Cooking Preparation of the Recipe:

Remove the papery skin from the garlic bulb and bake it in the oven for 1 hour at a temperature of 175 oC (350 oF). Let it cool and remove any residual skin. You should have about 25 grams baked garlic with a creamy texture.
If you use saffron, soak it in the lemon juice for at least 30 minutes.
Purée the feta cubes, the baked garlic, the raw garlic clove, the basil or cilantro (coriander) leaves and the lemon juice (with or without saffron) in a food processor. Add olive oil or creme fraiche to get a smooth, creamy consistency.
The dip mix based on olive oil is the original one. Substituting olive oil by creme fraiche results in a dip mix with a softer taste and a smoother consistency. Both forms can be used in the same way as ordinary pesto sauce. Deep-freezing is possible, especially of the creme fraiche based dip. Remember: If you leave out the saffron, the aphrodisiacal effects might be very weak or even absent.