NORWAY — The Alan Day Community Garden will offer a free pesto-making workshop from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Aug. 30, at the garden, 26 Whitman St., across from Norway Grange.

Traditional pesto is an Italian sauce made from basil, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil and Parmesan cheese, blended together into a thick paste. The name comes the Italian pesta, which means to crush or pound, because pesto is traditionally made with a mortar and pestle.

However, a blender can be used, and this workshop will demonstrate both. Pesto can be mixed into pasta or used in dips, sauces and spreads. The workshop will present three recipes and participants can leave with samples to take home.

Participants are encouraged to register by calling 743-9808 or 890-9622 or drop in by 9:45. Basil will be harvested at the garden that morning and all other ingredients will be provided. Donations to the garden are accepted; the ADCG is a 501c3 organization.

Begun in 2009 to honor the memory of Alan Day, local philanthropist, father, artist and community leader, the garden has grown from three small beds to include over 20 raised beds along with over a dozen rows.

Today, the garden grows food for about 20 individuals, families and organizations, and employs five youth leaders for the summer. It gets its power from recently installed solar panels and its water from a gravity catchment system that catches water from the barn roof.

The public is welcome to visit the garden anytime during business hours. For more information, contact [email protected] or Lisa at 743-9808.