Herbal Pestos
There is more to pesto than basil. Basil pesto is wonderful but there are herbs you can use all year around for your pesto. In our house pesto is a main food group. We eat it all year and put it on eggs, sandwiches and it also makes a great snack!
Classic Pesto
1 bunch chopped basil leaves
¼ to ½ cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves
3 tablespoons pine nuts
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Dash of salt
Cut the stems from the basil leaves and discard the stems. Put basil and olive in the blender and blend until smooth. Add nuts, garlic and Parmesan cheese a little at a time and mix until everything is blended together. Add extra olive oil for a smoother pesto
Rosemary Pesto
½ cup fresh rosemary
½ cup parsley
1 cup arugula, mizuna or other salad mix green
½ cup pumpkin seeds or pine nuts
2 garlic cloves
½ cup parmesan cheese
1 cup olive oil
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Combine everything in a blender and blend until smooth. Add more or less olive oil until desired consistency.
Consider your rosemary pesto as something that actually belongs in the medicine cabinet!
Anti-Plague Pesto
2 cups olive oil
3 cups combination of 4 fresh herbs of the season:
rosemary, sage, parsley, oregano, nasturtium, garlic chives, savory, tarragon, chives, thyme
½ cup arugula or parsley
3 garlic cloves
4 tablespoons of nut of choice: pecans, walnuts, almonds, pine nuts or sunflower seeds
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
½ teaspoon sea salt
Cut off and discard stems from the herbs. Put herbs and olive in the blender and blend until smooth. Add nuts, garlic and Parmesan cheese a little at a time and mix until everything is blended together. Add extra olive oil until you have the consistency that you like. This is a delicious anti- bacterial food that will keep away colds and flu!
Pesto Revival
1 bunch stemmed, chopped basil leaves
½ cup combination of other chopped culinary herbs: rosemary, oregano, nasturtium leaves and flowers, savory, parsley, tarragon, thyme, arugula, sage
½ -1 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves
4 tablespoons of nut of choice: pecans, walnuts, almonds or sunflower seeds
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Dash of sea salt