By Jennifer Lance •
August 1, 2008
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I love basil, and I even worked on a basil farm in college. One of my favorite basil recipes is pesto, and my children love it too! We make it from organic pesto we grow in our garden, and we eat it on baguettes, crackers, pasta, pizza, etc. It is really easy to make if you have a blender, but be careful to stop and stir often. You can easily burn up the motor on your blender if you are not patient.
Organic Pesto
Pulverize in a blender:
At this point in asparagus season, I get a little tired of eating the vegetable every night for dinner. Simply steaming, grilling, or roasting the spears has grown old, so I start to add asparagus to pizza and pasta to ensure my children keep eating from the garden. This recipe for creamy asparagus pasta is light and easy to make, and organic ingredients makes it healthier and taste better.
Light and Creamy Vegetarian Asparagus Pasta
Cook for three minutes less than recommended on the package:
- 8 ounces whole wheat penne pasta
Add to pasta and cook for three more minutes, then drain:
- 1 bunch of asparagus cut into 3/4 inch pieces
In a medium bowl, whisk together:
- 1 1/2 cups organic milk
- 4 teaspoons mustard
- 4 teaspoons flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper (or less for kids)
The name pesto derives from tradition of making this sauce in a mortar with a pestle. The following recipe, which I encourage you to use a food processor for, unless you have a few spare hours, proves that you absolutely don’t need cheese to make a fantastic pesto. Purchase fresh basil (or grow it yourself!), and find a nice fruity olive oil.
Advance Preparation: Pesto freezes very well. Defrost pesto at room temperature, about
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Editor's note: We're pleased to welcome Colleen Patrick-Goudreau to the Green Options writing team! Colleen has taught vegan cooking classes in Oakland, California, for seven years, and is a columnist for VegNews magazine
, and a contributing writer for KQED radio's Perspectives program. Her first cookbook, The Joy of Vegan Baking: The Compassionate Cooks' Recipes for Traditional Treats and Sinful Sweets, will be published
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With farmers markets opening up here in St Louis, it's time to get out those recipes that taste so much better with fresh, local produce. One of my favorites is this light summer pasta dish, which I modified from a Moosewood Cookbook to suit my own tastes. The raw sauce, with sweet tomatoes, basil, and creamy fresh mozzerella, starts with the classic Caprese salad flavors and adds a little something extra.
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