Skip to main content

Bruised Pesto

The basil is really doing well this year, which allows me to whip up many variations of pesto. Here is one that involves an extra step of bruising the basil leaves. The science is that this releases the oils from the basil -- the reality is that this does indeed taste richer than a pesto made without this step!


 Bruised Pesto
Cook's Illustrated

1/4 c pine nuts, toasted
3 cloves garlic, unpeeled
2 c basil leaves, packed
2 T parsley
7 T olive oil
salt
1/4 c Parmesan cheese, finely grated
pepper

Toast the nuts in a small heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently. Toast just until golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Add garlic to the empty skillet and toast over medium heat, shaking the pan occasionally, until fragrant and the color deepens - about 7 minutes.
Let the garlic cool slightly. Then peel and chop.
Place basil and parsley in a ziploc bag and pound with a meat tenderizer or rolling pin until all leaves are bruised. This will help release the oil into the pesto.

Process nuts, garlic, herbs, oil and 1/2 tsp salt in a food processor until smooth. Scrape the bowl as needed. Process for about 1 minute. Stir in Parmesan and season with salt and pepper.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Cauliflower and Arugula Soup with Tibetan Flatbread

Because the weather is chilly, and because I had a bag of arugula from the last farm box taunting me, only to be compounded by a fresh bag of arugula from the recent farm box, I decided to try this soup I found from a blog associated with a California-based CSA, Eat Outside the Box . Cauliflower and Arugula Soup Eat Outside the Box farm blog 1 head cauliflower 1 red or white onion, peeled and chopped 3/4 lb zucchini, peeled and chopped 1/4 lb arugula 15 oz stock 15 oz water 1 T olive oil salt and pepper Parmesan cheese, grated First, let me state how important it is to wash your arugula before using it. I don't know about you, but sometimes I get lazy and rely on the "well, if it doesn't kill me, it'll just make me stronger" approach to washing my foods and vegetables. This laziness is only enhanced when the food I'm considering has come from an organic farm. But leaving aside all the various things that can get on the food
2 comments
Read more

Mayocoba Beans with Green Chiles

I love this dish so much that I can barely stand it. Delicious the night it was made, and fantastic as leftovers throughout the week. Mayocoba beans are easily replaced -- try pintos, if you can't find mayocobas. Mayocoba Beans with Green Chiles Baptism of Fire 3-4 green chiles, roasted and chopped 1 onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1 T lard or olive oil 1/2 tsp oregano 1 tsp cumin pepper 1 c mayocoba beans, dry 3 c water 1 tsp salt Cook the green chiles, onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, and black pepper in the fat until the onions begin to caramelize. Add the water and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and let the beans sit, uncovered, for an hour. You may drain the water to remove some of the slightly indigestible sugars that cause gassiness. If you decide to drain them, add enough water back into the pot to cover the beans with about 2" of water above the beans for cooking.  Bring the beans back to a boil and cook, until tender. This will take
1 comment
Read more

Chilled Soba Noodles with Cucumber, Snow Peas, and Radishes

  We destroyed these. In a good way. It's a lovely-to-look-at dish, chock full of vegetables. More so than I had anticipated, and more so than most soba noodle dishes I've made in the past. We absolutely gobbled this up! Served here with a five-spice chicken and smashed cucumbers.  The original calls for nori. We don't love nori so left it out. Maybe we are missing a part of the experience, but even without it, this was delicious.  Chilled Soba Noodles with Cucumber, Snow Peas, and Radishes Cook's Illustrated 8 oz soba noodles 3 T white miso paste 3 T mirin 2 T toasted sesame oil 1 T sesame seeds 1 tsp ginger, grated 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes 1/3 English cucumber, quartered lengthwise, seeded, sliced thin 4 oz snow peas, strings removed, cut lengthwise into matchsticks 4 radishes, trimmed, halved, sliced thin into half-moons 3 scallions, sliced thin Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Stir in noodles and cook according to package directions, stirring occasionally
Post a Comment
Read more