Getting Creative with Pesto

Not a summer goes by without this cook making some form of pesto. It's so easy to get creative with pesto, and unless you go insane and add too much of something like, say, jalapeno, you really can't go wrong. It's easy to make, too; and, being so damn tasty for spiffing up a simple weeknight pasta, potato, or pizza dish, it's a trifecta condiment/sauce/paste to have handy. Aaaand, little 4oz mason jars filled with this deliciousness make for much-welcomed gifts for friends!

There are many options for greens that deviate from the classic Genovese basil used in pesto, and some can be used on their own or in a mix: arugula (adds a peppery note), cilantro, garlic scapes (whoo!), mezuna (adds a less peppery note than arugula), or radish greens (whoa, spicy!). Spinach is one of my favorite bases, and it's featured in the recipe below. Of course, there are also all the different flavor profiles of basil itself! Lemony...or cinnamon-spicy...or just super-basily.

A Year in Eating. Almost.

Let's start with August 2014, the month I began ignoring my poor wee blog.

'Top of the Hill' eggplant layered with rounds of fresh 'Wolf Meadow Farm' mozzarella and simple homemade marinara sauce made from super ripe heirloom tomatoes from 'From My Head TomaTOES Farm'; grated scamorza cheese from 'Wolf Meadow Farm' laced their tops. Adapted from bon appetit. Their tip: slice your eggplant in half lengthwise, all the way through the intact stem for an appealing, rustic presentation.  Prebake before layering.  Drizzle with olive oil before baking.  Sprigs of garden marjoram or oregano laid across the top before baking perfume the kitchen wonderfully. 

Can't have August pictures without tomatoes, basil and fresh mozz in the mix (lol, I know, it's supposed to be about the tomatoes).  Who here eats half the mozz before serving?  There is simply no point in ever attempting this supreme combination at any other time of year than deep summer.  Don't even consider it.

September 2014

Pick-your-own blueberries from an Epping farm made for a good attempt at hiding all of my frosting flaws! I believe this was a blueberry-flavored cream cheese-frosted yellow cake.  For no one's birthday.  :)

'Top of the Hill' flank steak all ready for fajitas. Remember to slice thinly on an angle, across the muscle fibers, for ultimate tenderness.  Sprinkle with a bit of Morton salt...then frig the fajitas. ;-p

Salsa secrets!

Tonight's salsa included yellow pear tomatoes, pickling cukes, Jimmy Nardello peppers, scallion, jalapeno pepper, sweet onion, cilantro, garlic scape pesto, lime juice, olive oil, a hint of agave nectar and white vinegar, and salt.  Let meld for at least 20 minutes before diving in.  And you will want to dive in!

My most successful salsas have these three things going for them:

1. Heat needs sweet.  A touch of agave nectar or honey helps balance the heat from a healthy jalapeno pepper.
2. Acid is a fresh salsa's best friend.  I use both fresh lime juice AND a splash of white vinegar.  While I have more than seven kinds of vinegar in my cubbard, white vinegar is perfect for the job.  It doesn't override the flavors of the fruits and veggies.  Just a hint...a teaspoon for a bowl that includes three or four tomatoes and all the other goodies.
3. The real pièce de résistance is a big dollop of my own garlic scape pesto--with or without the additon of cheese that is normally found in pesto.  In this case, my scape pesto consisted of three ingredients: scapes, pine nuts and evoo.  Try adding a dollop of any pesto--I bet a popular brand of cilantro pesto would be delicious! 

Lettuce, Tomatoes and Broccoli, Oh My!

Clockwise from upper left: garlic scapes, Stout Oak Farm; fresh cut wildflowers, Winnicut River Farm; perfectly ripe strawberries, Applecrest Farm and Heron Pond Farm; zucchini (!), Barker's Farm; broccoli (!), Heron Pond Farm; scallions and radishes, Catnip Acres Farm; romaine lettuce, Meadow's Mirth Farm; and (center), cherry tomatoes, slicing tomatoes and pickling cukes, McKenzie's Farm

The farmers' markets are roaring!  Now's the time for garlic scapes.  Keep reading for the best scape pesto recipe I've made yet!