Tags
#carrottops, #choibox, #eatyourvegetables, #garlicscapes, #pesto, #pestosauce, #supportlocalfarmers
Pesto, is a sauce originating in Genoa, Italy. It traditionally consists of crushed garlic, pine nuts, coarse salt, basil leaves, hard cheese such as Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Sardo, all blended with olive oil.
I love to have Pesto in my fridge to use as a dip, a marinade for chicken or fish, a pasta sauce, or simply used as a garnish to top grilled vegetables or soup. Pesto also freezes well!
I like to make different versions of this flavourful sauce. Today I received some fresh carrot tops and local garlic scapes from my Choi farmers box. They smelled so fresh and amazing I could not resist them. Yay pesto!
Garlic scapes are the tender curly flower stalks from hardneck garlic, and taste milder than garlic cloves. They are delicious and I love making pesto with them.
Carrot Top Pesto
Ingredients
- 1 cup carrot top greens, organic
- 1 cup baby spinach, organic
- 1/4 cup basil, organic
- 2 large garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup almonds or pine nuts
- 1/2 cup olive oil, extra virgin, high quality
- Splash of lemon
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
- Rinse the carrot top greens thoroughly and dry them. Discard any tough stems.
- Clean baby spinach and dry thoroughly.
- Chop garlic very fine.
- Put all ingredients in the food processor except the olive oil.
- Pulse ten times or so until combined.
- Add the olive oil gradually, a little at a time, continue pulsing until it becomes a creamy paste.
- Add a splash of lemon, salt and pepper. Taste then adjust your seasoning.
Garlic Scape Pesto
Ingredients
- 1 cup garlic scapes coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup basil, organic
- 1/2 cup pine nuts (I used macadamia and almond nuts)
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice, (juice of half a lemon)
- 1/3 cup parmigiana reggiano cheese, grated
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
- Put garlic scapes, basil, nuts, lemon and salt and pepper (pepper liberally) in a food processor. Pulse for about 10 times or so, until combined.
- Add olive oil gradually, a little at a time, continue pulsing until the pesto is a creamy paste.
- Transfer the pesto to a bowl and stir in the grated cheese.