It's fall!! I know, this might not be such exciting news for everyone, but I'm kind of ready for cooler weather, pumpkin, spice, and warm, soothing soups. Maybe it's just the last few weeks of pregnancy talking. :)
One of the really awesome things about working on a farm is that it allows me to truly understand what "seasonal" means. Salads tend to be a super popular meal choice during the summers and are often featured in all sorts of food blogs, magazines, and cooking shows. Interestingly, greens actually really start to flourish in the cooler weather. These days, the farm is overrun with green things - boc choy, spinach, lettuce, mixed greens, chard, collards, kale, and today's focus - arugula.
One of the really awesome things about working on a farm is that it allows me to truly understand what "seasonal" means. Salads tend to be a super popular meal choice during the summers and are often featured in all sorts of food blogs, magazines, and cooking shows. Interestingly, greens actually really start to flourish in the cooler weather. These days, the farm is overrun with green things - boc choy, spinach, lettuce, mixed greens, chard, collards, kale, and today's focus - arugula.
In order to make good use of the lovely fresh greens, but still satisfy my craving for hardier, warmer, more comfort-food fare, I decided to make a fresh seasonal pesto. It's great on pasta, tossed with some fall veggies like winter squash and kale, or wonderful as an alternative "sauce" on flatbreads/pizzas. It was also be killer spread onto a freshly toasted sourdough bread, with a bit of lettuce and a poached or lightly fried egg. :)
Arugula Pesto
About 1 cup
~4 cups packed arugula
Olive oil (1/2 cup to a cup)
1/2 cupish pumpkin seeds
1-2 heaping tsp minced garlic (or a couple of cloves)
Squirt of lemon juice
Salt
As you can tell from my stellar ingredient amounts, this is a pretty loose recipe. Essentially, you need arugula, seeds/nuts, olive oil, and garlic. The amount of oil will depend on 1) how thick/thin you want your pesto, and 2) oil needed to get everything to blend together. You can use a food processor or blender (i used the latter for this recipe, but have used my food processor for previous pesto recipes).
Toss the arugula, pumpkin seeds, half the garlic, and about 1/4- 1/3 cup olive oil into your appliance of choice. Begin to blend/puree. Drizzle in oil as needed to keep things moving. Stop periodically to scrape down the sides and mix everything up. Taste. Add more garlic and salt as desired. Continue blending and adding oil a bit at a time until your desired consistency is reached. Squeeze in a touch of lemon juice to add some brightness and help keep the arugula nice and green.
Can be stored in an air-tight container for 3-4 days (the color may dull slightly, but it will still taste just fine!), or portion into ice cube tray sections and freeze for easy future use!
Arugula Pesto
About 1 cup
~4 cups packed arugula
Olive oil (1/2 cup to a cup)
1/2 cupish pumpkin seeds
1-2 heaping tsp minced garlic (or a couple of cloves)
Squirt of lemon juice
Salt
As you can tell from my stellar ingredient amounts, this is a pretty loose recipe. Essentially, you need arugula, seeds/nuts, olive oil, and garlic. The amount of oil will depend on 1) how thick/thin you want your pesto, and 2) oil needed to get everything to blend together. You can use a food processor or blender (i used the latter for this recipe, but have used my food processor for previous pesto recipes).
Toss the arugula, pumpkin seeds, half the garlic, and about 1/4- 1/3 cup olive oil into your appliance of choice. Begin to blend/puree. Drizzle in oil as needed to keep things moving. Stop periodically to scrape down the sides and mix everything up. Taste. Add more garlic and salt as desired. Continue blending and adding oil a bit at a time until your desired consistency is reached. Squeeze in a touch of lemon juice to add some brightness and help keep the arugula nice and green.
Can be stored in an air-tight container for 3-4 days (the color may dull slightly, but it will still taste just fine!), or portion into ice cube tray sections and freeze for easy future use!
