Fresh for the Pesto Garden
(Page 3 of 3)
June/July 2003
By Kris Wetherbee
If tradition lures, you can still make pesto using a mortar and pestle. This method is more time-consuming than using a food processor, but some say that pesto made the traditional way has a creamier texture. If you’re up for it, then you can be the judge. Start by first sprinkling coarse salt (sea salt or kosher salt), a few peppercorns and garlic in the mortar. In small quantities, add herb leaves and nuts along with a few drops of oil until you have pounded the ingredients into a fairly smooth paste. Pound in the grated cheese and drizzle in the oil — a little at a time — until you have a thick herb puree of pesto.
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Culinary Tips
Pesto has long been favored as a pasta sauce, but its appetizing versatility has put tradition to the test. Today this delicious herb paste is used in or with a wide variety of dishes. Pesto pairs with any vegetable — fresh or cooked — especially green beans, eggplant, summer squash and tomatoes, as well as most any potato dish you can imagine. Add it to soups, stews and stir-fries, or toss it with a raw veggie salad. Use pesto as a sauce for pizza or your favorite sandwich wrap. You can also bake it into breads and pastries. It’s delicious served on broiled or grilled fish and poultry and is a perfect partner for egg dishes and omelets.
Though pesto is always best when consumed fresh, any extra can easily be stored in the refrigerator. To help preserve its fresh flavor, add a thin layer of oil over the top to keep pesto from discoloring, then store, tightly covered, for up to one week.
For many of us, the urge for homemade pesto remains throughout the year, even in winter. The solution is to make a big batch of pesto for your freezer from your last fall harvest. Spray ice cube trays with oil, then fill the trays with pesto and freeze. Once the cubes are frozen, pop them out into a freezer bag. Another option is to spoon pesto into zip-close plastic sandwich bags and then flatten them out to freeze like a sheet; when you’re ready to use the pesto, simply break off the portion you need. This way individual portions of pesto are always at hand to liven up winter cuisine. Store frozen pesto in the freezer for up to two months.
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