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Last week I shared my top 5 tips for getting the most out of your CSA basket or fall vegetables. We chatted about some ideas for your roots, tubers, squash, and crucifers. But what about all those gorgeous greens? Not to mention all the showy fronds that often come attached? Consider this tip #6: Everything green is a pesto waiting to happen! Alternative pesto is a bit unexpected and naturally frugal.
Another awesome benefit of getting your vegetables from a CSA or farmers’ market (or growing your own) is that because they are freshly harvested, the greens are still attached to many root vegetables. Usually, veggies like carrots, beets, fennel, and celeriac will still have their leaves or fronds. Do not throw them out! This is bonus time: a two-for-one deal!
You’ll want to detach the leaves from the root for storage because they tend to leach moisture. I like to store my vegetables separately in unsealed, recycled plastic bags in the fridge crisper drawer. As much as I work to keep plastic out of my kitchen, I have yet to find a better storage system than this. I keep a set of gallon zip top bags and reused bread bags to store my produce in after it arrives from the farm.
Some leaves, like beet greens, have a more obvious place in meals. They are perhaps my favorite winter green and are very easy to use just as you would kale or Swiss chard. But what to do with that mound of carrot tops? Well, one easy solution is to chop them up and use them like any other herbs, sprinkled on dishes or to flavor soups. But a little goes a long way and I often have piles of these leaves in my crisper drawer. Maybe it’s an awareness of how much work it took my farmers to grow and nurture these plants or just a simple disgust at the enormity of our countries food waste or the fact that it’s like throwing away money. Probably, it is all of these reasons, but I canNOT stand to let things go to waste.
What is Alternative Pesto?
Well, let’s back up a step. “Traditional” pesto or pesto alla genovese originated in Genoa, Italy. It’s a sauce that traditionally incorporates garlic, pine nuts, salt, basil, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and olive oil. It’s delicious and insanely flavorful. But this same concept can be applied to almost any greens with fantastic results!
Thinking Beyond the Basil
Of course I love basil, who doesn’t? But fennel fronds, carrot tops, parsley, celeriac leaves, kale, spinach, mustard greens, collards, and so on, make an exciting and unexpected sauce. The leaves generally share similarities in flavor with the root and you can expect your pesto to take on that palate as well. Remember that what grows together, goes together, so feel free to mix and match between your seasonal greens!
I’ve seen some recipes suggest to blanch heavier greens like kale or collards first, but honestly I don’t have the time. I just wash ‘em up, pat ‘em dry, and remove the heavy stems. I’ve created another un-recipe for this anything goes Alternative Pesto as a guide (scroll to the bottom of this post to find the printable card). The idea of the “un-recipe” is that you can sub in whatever greens you have around and ingredients from your well-stocked pantry.
No Pine Nuts, No Problem.
Swap out the greens, swap out the nuts! If you’ve ever made traditional pesto you may have had a minor heart attack when purchasing pine nuts. They are not a bargain buy. But guess what is? Sunflower seeds! Great for those with nut allergies and at least a third of the price of pine nuts with a similar flavor and texture. Toasted walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, hazelnuts, etc are also great choices. Use whatever nuts or seeds you fancy and have in stock.
Oil and Acid
Again, while olive oil is “traditional”, use whatever you like to cook with. Avocado, sunflower, grapeseed, or walnut oils are all great alternatives. Each will lend its own subtle flavor to your sauce.
I must admit that I have only ever used lemon juice in my alternative pesto, mostly because I’ve always got a bottle in my fridge. If you have a fresh lemon, juice the whole thing and maybe throw in some zest as well! But any citrus juice or even a splash of vinegar could be substituted in to brighten the flavors here.
To Cheese or Not to Cheese
Well, that is totally up to you, too! Sometimes I throw in a handful of parmesan and sometimes I don’t. I am generally in favor of cheese in most situations, but let’s just say that if it’s not in my fridge, I’m not going to make a special trip out to get it. This sauce will be fantastically flavorful with or without it. And, of course, (I think can see where this is going,) consider other options outside of the parm. Any hard, aged cheese could be a welcome addition to your pesto.
Alternative Pesto: An Un-Recipe
Ingredients
- 3-4 cups of greens or fronds
- 1/2 cup seeds or nuts
- 2 T lemon juice or other citrus juice/acid
- 1-2 cloves of peeled garlic
- 1 tsp salt
- Optional: 1/2 cup hard aged cheese
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil or other cooking oil
Instructions
- Wash leaves and fronds and pat dry, removing any hard stems.
- Blitz seeds or nuts in a food processor until an even meal forms.
- Add greens, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and cheese (if using) to the bowl and turn it on. Stream in oil until the desired consistency is reached.
How to Store It
Now, while it’s satisfying to whip up a batch of alternative pesto and slather it on your fresh pasta like a kitchen genius, sometimes you just need to use up a heap of greens before they go bad. If you can use it quickly, this sauce will keep in your fridge for several days. But if not, luckily, pesto is an excellent candidate for the freezer.
I like to store it two ways. Sometimes I plop the whole batch in a freezer safe pint jar or quart sized zip top bag. But it’s also very useful to make what I like to call “flavor bombs.” I have a silicone tray that I bought for freezing homemade baby food purées, but an ice cube tray will work just as well. This will create handy single serving sized cubes of pure flavor magic to add a punch to side dishes or soups without having to defrost the whole batch.
Ideas for Using Alternative Pesto
This secret sauce is like a whole bonus serving of vegetables. Especially if you’ve hidden something like spinach or kale in there! Nutritionally speaking, it’s a winner. But the obvious benefit of having a stash of this green stuff in your freezer is that it adds an instant flavor boost to just about anything. Here are a few of my favorite ways to use the flavor bombs.
- Pasta with a Punch: This is the classic. Toss the whole batch with some noodles, veggies, sausage and sprinkle with cheese.
- Spice up Veggie Sides: Toss a few spoonfuls or a frozen cube into a side of corn, green beans, broccoli, carrots, whatever you want. This works well with steamed, sauteed, or roasted veg.
- Saucey Grains: Use a little or a lot to flavor rice, quinoa, barley, or other hearty grains. For a full meal, throw in roasted vegetables and top with feta, goat cheese, or even a runny egg.
- Soup Saver: This is perhaps my favorite use for alternative pesto. I love to plop a few frozen flavor bombs into a vegetable or chicken soup. The bit of oil and intense burst of flavor really takes an ordinary stew up a notch!
- Green Pizza: Slather it on your crust in place of traditional red sauce and add your favorite cheese and toppings.
- Sandwich Spread: With a little healthy oil and a lot of flavor, elevate your lunchtime standby.
- Salad Dressing: With a splash more oil or acid, this could be your new favorite vinaigrette.
- Elevate Eggs: I don’t think I will ever tire of finding new ways to eat eggs. Add a dash of flavor to your scramble or mix it in your frittata or quiche.
- Quick Dips: Stir a dollop into sour cream, greek yogurt, or cream cheese for a fancy and fast all purpose dip.
Save those fronds, friends! What are your favorite flavor combos? I would LOVE for you to share below. Check out the video tutorial and I’ll see you next week for more tips and tricks for getting the most out of your harvest!
Alternative Pesto: An Un-Recipe
Everything green is a pesto waiting to happen! Fennel fronds, carrot tops, parsley, celeriac leaves, kale, spinach, mustard greens, collards, and so on, make an exciting and unexpected sauce. Sub out the nuts, acid, oil, and cheese for a truly unique flavor experience.
Ingredients
- 3-4 cups of greens or fronds
- 1/2 cup seeds or nuts
- 2 T lemon juice or other citrus juice/acid
- 1-2 cloves of garlic
- 1 tsp salt
- Optional: 1/2 cup parmesan or other hard, aged cheese
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil or other cooking oil
Instructions
- Wash leaves and fronds and pat dry. Remove any hard stems.
- Blitz seeds or nuts in a food processor until an even meal forms.
- Add greens, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and cheese (if using) to the bowl and turn it on. Stream in oil until the desired consistency is reached.
Notes
Use within 3 days or freeze in cubes for easy single serving use.
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Hello! This post could not be written any better!
Reading through this post reminds me of my previous room mate!
He always kept talking about this. I will forward this write-up
to him. Fairly certain he will have a good read.
Many thanks for sharing!
Thanks for reading and sharing it with your friend!