Basic Herbal Pesto
© Susun S Weed
PESTOS
The simplest pesto is green leaves pounded with salt and garlic. I don't put cheese or nuts into my pestos when I make them, as these ingredients spoil rapidly.
I use a mini-size food prep machine for the "pounding". A blender will work too, but watch that you don't burn out the motor.
The oil in a pesto both preserves the antioxidant vitamins in the fresh green herbs and also softens the cell walls so minerals become more available. With the added health-benefits of garlic, herbal pestos are great medicine as well as superb eating.
Basic Herbal Pesto
Stays good for up to two years in a cool refrigerator; up to five years in the freezer.
• Start with half a cup of extra virgin olive oil.
• Add 2-4 coarsely chopped cloves of garlic.
• Add a good sprinkle of sea salt.
• Add a large handful of prepared herb leaves and blend.
• Continue adding leaves and oil as needed. Perhaps more garlic and salt? Blend.
• When all is blended to a fare thee well, pack your pesto into a skinny jar.
• Leave some space between the pesto and the top of the jar and fill this with olive oil.
• Cap, label, and refrigerate.
Green Herbs for Pesto
Catnip (Nepeta cataria)
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
Garlic mustard (Alliaria officinalis)
Sheep sorrel (Rumex acetosella)
Violet (Viola species)
Yellow dock (Rumex crispus)
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