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I was over at my lovely mother-in-law’s house yesterday, and I noticed how well her window box full of herbs (a gift from my husband and me) was doing. The basil was out of control–in a good way. I asked her what she was going to do with the basil, and she said she didn’t know.
“You should make pesto,” I said to her. “It’s really easy.”
“What’s that?” she asked.
Today, I tried out a local sandwich shop I’d never tried. Their veggie sandwich promised tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and pesto, one of my favorite combinations. Unfortunately, their idea of “pesto” was mayonnaise with dried basil flecks in it. What? The blasphemy! Are there really that many people who don’t know the awesomeness of pesto?
I know. It doesn’t sound particularly appetizing, but trust me. This is delicious. We keep basil in the garden and pesto in the fridge during most of the summer season. By now (early Spring), we are ready, but the Basil is not.
When my friend, business partner, and the managing editor of our magazine, Relevant Times shared this recipe with me, I was skeptical too. I’ve learned to trust Green Diva Jen’s (AKA Jenifer O’Neill) recipes. She is not only a WiseWoman herbalist, she is an amazing natural foods and Macrobiotic chef.
Ingredients
2 cups raw kale
1 cup pine nuts
1 cup olive oil
1 cup Romano cheese, grated
4 cloves garlic peeled & chopped
salt & freshly group pepper to taste
Directions
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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