Mike Yoder/Journal-World Photo.Basil plants sit on a window ledge at Chef Bradley Walters Basil Leaf Cafe, 3300 W. 6th St.

Mike Yoder/Journal-World Photos Chef Bradley Walters, owner of Basil Leaf Cafe, presses a couple of pounds of basil leaves into a mixer to make a recipe of pesto at the restaurant.

Basil Bucatini at Marisco’s, 4821 W. Sixth St.

A planter of Genovese basil plant decorates the dinning area of the Basil Leaf Cafe, 3300 W. Sixth St.

The ingredients are few, the combinations limitless and the finished product is one of summer’s fanciest simple delights: pesto.

Olive oil. Herbs or greens. Nuts. Spices. Maybe a little cheese. Give those ingredients a spin in a food processor and — presto! — you’ve got summer’s meanest, greenest sauce.

Think you can’t afford the luxury of making a traditional basil-and-pine-nut pesto? Well, neither can the chefs, sort of.

Bradley Walters, chef and co-owner of the Basil Leaf Café, 3300 W. Sixth St., says that he goes through 5 or 6 pounds of basil a week for use in pesto and other dishes, which is easy now that his home basil plants are lush, but an exceptionally pricey habit once fall rolls around. Not to mention, pine nuts seem to rival the price of gold these days, with a pound of the little nuts rolling in at about three times the cost of a pound of walnuts.

“I’m growing all my basil at this point. I have a pretty good-sized garden at home to where I am pulling most of my produce (from) … to save money this summer,” Walters says. “I prefer pine nuts, but the price point on them is so outrageous that, at this point, I’m using walnuts. Pine nuts are just too expensive to be using all the time unless you’re at an upscale restaurant (that can) make the money to use them.”

Meanwhile, Fee Monshizadeh, part-owner of Marisco’s, 4821 W. Sixth St., says buying lots of basil is also particularly painful. But, because the pesto it goes into creates such a punch, it’s a case where it’s easy to get his money’s worth.

“Basil, in particular, if you buy it by the pound is $12 or $13 versus any other green, $2 or $3. It’s higher end,” Monshizadeh says. “But it doesn’t take a whole lot to really (spice up) your dishes. It’s pretty strong, but it’s a good sauce to utilize.”

But, never fear, there are plenty of good pestos to be had both using basil while it’s in-season (and in your garden or cheap at the Lawrence Farmers’ Market) and a host of other, cheaper, greens like spinach or arugula.

“There’s a wide variety of them,” says Walters, who has made a lot of different pestos in his day. “People use peanuts and Thai basil and chili peppers blended with oil. Sun-dried tomatoes, rosemary, a little garlic and pine nuts. Then, a traditional basil pesto. I think there’s probably a whole variety that I’m not even aware of.”

And if you do make a huge batch of pesto after seeing the recipes that follow this story, know that pesto freezes really well in ice cube trays or freezer bags, making it easy to get a taste of the summer when basil’s twice its current price.

Simple Pesto

1/4 cup nuts, such as walnuts or pine nuts, or sunflower kernels

2 cups packed chopped raw herbs/greens, such as basil, kale or parsley

1/2 cup grated hard cheese, such as Parmesan or Romano

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 to 2 tablespoons water (optional)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

— Recipe from www.wholefoodsmarket.com.

Spinach, Orange and Arugula Pesto

1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted

1 1/2 cups loosely packed fresh spinach leaves

1 1/2 cups loosely packed fresh arugula , sorrel or watercress leaves

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

1/2 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel

3 tablespoons orange juice

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

Place almonds in a food processor or blender container. Cover and process or blend the almonds until finely chopped.

Add the spinach and arugula, sorrel or watercress; cover. With the machine running, gradually add the oil in a thin, steady stream, processing until the mixture is combined and slightly chunky.

Add Parmesan or Romano cheese, orange peel, orange juice, ground red pepper and salt. Process or blend just until combined.

To store: Divide into 1/4-cup portions and place in airtight containers. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To serve: Bring pesto to room temperature and spread on grilled salmon, grilled chicken or toasted bread. (Makes 3/4 cup)

— Recipe from www.dole.com.

Linguine with Arugula Pesto

3/4 cup arugula, packed, (about 1 ounce)

1/4 cup baby spinach

1 large clove garlic, smashed and finely minced (about 1 teaspoon)

1/4 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese plus 2 tablespoons of finely grated Parmesan cheese (It must be freshly grated)

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

6 ounces dry linguine

2 tablespoons warm pasta cooking water

Place the arugula, spinach, garlic and salt in a blender and pulse on low until roughly chopped. Add the pine nuts and roughly chop. Scrape down the sides of the blender and spoon up paste that settles on the bottom of the blender; add cheese. Purée on low to get an evenly chopped mixture. With the machine running on low, add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream until it is incorporated into the mixture and resembles a paste. Remove pesto into a bowl and mix in cheese. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

Heat a large pot of salted water to a boil and add pasta. Cook until al dente. Remove 1/2 cup of cooking water and drain pasta. Add pasta back to warm pot and top with pesto and 3 tablespoons of the hot pasta cooking water. Toss pasta with pesto and water with tongs until coated. Serve immediately.

— Recipe from www.melissas.com.

Grilled Squash with Cilantro-Pecan Pesto

1/4 cup pine nuts

1/4 cup pecans

2 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 cup fresh packed cilantro, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon umeboshi or ume plum vinegar (or more to taste)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 yellow crookneck squash

2 zucchini squash

Ingredient option: If you would prefer to include Parmesan in the pesto and make this non-vegan, remove the umeboshi vinegar and replace with 1/2 cups of Parmesan cheese and salt to taste.

Toast pine nuts in a heavy skillet on medium heat until fragrant and golden brown. Repeat for pecans. Combine pine nuts, pecans, garlic, cilantro and ume vinegar in a food processor. Pulse until fine and well-mixed. With food processor running, slowly add oil. Mix a few times by hand to thoroughly combine pesto.

Spray olive oil cooking spray or lightly rub olive oil onto grill grate to prevent sticking. Preheat grill to medium heat.

Cut squash lengthwise (about three pieces per squash). Make 3 or so hatch marks on cut sides of squash and rub pesto onto cut sides of squash. Grill squash for about 5 minutes on each side or until golden grill marks appear and squash is soft. Remove and serve with extra pesto on the side if desired.

— Recipe from www.wholefoodsmarket.com.

Tofu Pesto

1 pound tofu

2 tablespoons sunflower seeds or pine nuts

2 cups fresh basil

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 teaspoons mellow barley miso

Bring water to a boil in a sauce pan. Add tofu and simmer 20 minutes. Roast seeds or nuts in a pan over medium heat for about 5 minutes until they just begin to brown. Chop basil and combine with oil, garlic and miso in a food processor until a paste is formed. Add tofu and seeds. Chill at least 30 minutes.

— Recipe from www.wholefoodsmarket.com.