Ingredients:
- 3 cups of Spring greens (not too tightly packed to avoid bruising) Can be anything from Kale or spinach, basil or parsley and edible weeds such as chickweed or nettles (make sure to cook your nettles first if using). Most of the greens (but not weeds can be purchased in-stores at Santos Organics).
- 60mL extra virgin olive oil or hempseed oil
- 1 garlic clove
- 1/4 cup of nuts and or seeds of your choice (I love cashews and macadamias or hempseeds)
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan or hard vegetable-based "cheese" (optional)
- Squeeze of lemon
- Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: add a pinch of savoury yeast flakes, they will add extra B vitamins to your pesto for stress support and season transition. It will also make your pesto taste more “cheesy”.
Method:
- Place greens and nuts/seeds in a food processor. Pulse several times. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
- Add garlic and parmesan to a bowl. Squeeze in your lemon and pulse several times and then scrape down the bowl.
- Restart food processor and add the olive oil in a steady stream. When the pesto is at a consistency you like stop the machine.
- You can add more oil if needed.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Use a spatula to transfer to a clean jar, secure cap and refrigerate.
- Keep your pesto green and fresh by adding a thin layer of olive oil to the top before refrigerating.
- Refrigerate for up to a week or freeze into cubes for future use. Serve over pasta, add to soups or use over any of your favourite dish.
Benefits + Info:
Make hay while the sun shines. Fragrant, nutrient-dense herbs are so abundant in spring, make a stash of green pesto and enjoy it or preserve it for winter.
The easiest way is by freezing the pesto in ice cube trays or silicone muffin trays. When frozen, release the cubes and store them in a container in your freezer.
A zesty spring pesto making the most of foraged spring greens. Adding spring weeds such as chickweed or cooked nettles will add extra benefits for your lymphatic system and skin as well as adding extra nutrients to your already nutrient dense pesto.
This recipe is a guide only, experiment with the greens and proportions of the other ingredients to find the combinations you love.
