Don’t you hate when every recipe on TV is all about every single ingredient needing to be the freshest thing in the world? Well…that is great on CSA/farm market day #1 or#2…..but how about day #8?  Sometimes life happens and we don’t all eat our green leafies in a timely fashion.  So what to do with that somewhat soggy bag of spinach?  That gamey garlic?  That half a pack of wrinkly almonds?

PESTO MAGIC!!!!!!!!!!!

ANY dark green that you would eat raw makes a good base for pesto.  3 that I use regularly are: basil, spinach, and my favorite…arugula.

ANY nut you have on hand can work. I have used traditional pine nuts, walnuts, and almonds.

ANY hard nutty cheese: traditional parm, asiago, or go for a local hard cheese.

ANY  type of garlic…even the scapes.

Salt…I prefer sea or kosher…but whatever you have will do the trick

GOOD Olive Oil…I always use extra virgin because that is what I like and buy in bulk, but if the price bothers you I’m sure no one would explode if you used the cheaper stuff.

As far as measurements…I don’t really use them.  I start by pureeing my greens with just enough olive oil to make them liquefy with my immersion blender.  [If you do not have an immersion blender stop whatever you are doing and go get one.  Yes...you will have to buy new because no one in his/her right mind would ever give it up unless it was broken and/or possessed.  Do not trust a person who says she/he simple didn't need it anymore.  They are insane...and probably dangerous.] Then I toss in whatever cheese I am using…a handful or whatever nubs I have left.  If it starts to get too pasty I drizzle in a little more oil.  Then I toss in the nuts.  Then the garlic- one clove/scape at a time-tasting as I go.  LAST I add the salt.  You want to wait on the salt to see how much intensity the cheese and garlic are bringing to the pesto party. And trust me…it is a party.

PESTO is MAGIC because it will keep many a forgotten green from your trash.  It can be frozen in cubes in your freezer for a tatse of sping in the winter.  Your unsuspecting kids will wolf down lbs of spinach will enjoying alien brains-ziti with pesto sauce.  Oh…and guess what…no matter how you do it…it will taste really amazing.

This entry was posted on Friday, June 12th, 2009 at 8:34 am and is filed under csa, CSA/ Local Food, recipes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.