Broccoli and Pesto Tagliatelle

Jamie Oliver's Broccoli and Pesto Tagliatelle was such an easy meal to make, especially when my friend prepped all the food before I got off work.  All I had to do was make the pesto, and drop everything in.  This recipe is hearty, fresh, and great leftover - hot or cold.  The secret ingredient is the potato, which makes everything creamy.  I love carb on carb action.  I will definitely be making it again.

CSA Week Seven

I can't believe it is already Week Seven - almost two months of delicious, fresh food.  The produce has definitely shifted form the beginning.  At one point I was so sick of all the greens, but now I miss them.  It was always a good excuse to make tacos or tostadas.  The good news is that I got loads of corn this week.  Corn is one of my favorite summer time treats.  I don't care if I have just eaten the biggest meal of my life, if I walk by a street fair I have to stop and get the roasted corn on the cob with lime juice, salt, and chili powder.  I will say that sadly this corn does not compare to the sweet corn of Iowa.

Here is what I got this week:

-14 ears of corn
-Small head of lettuce
-Dill
-Basil
-Carrots
-Zucchini
-Cucumbers
-Half a head of cabbage
-Peaches
-Cherries
-Eggs

I combined this week's and last week's basil and made pesto Wednesday night.  This is very quick and easy if you have a food processor, but have no fear - you can also use a mortar and pestle (hence where the name "pesto" comes from), which will take a bit longer, but is the traditional way.  I combined Martha Stewart's recipe from Martha Stewart's Cooking School and the Joy of Cooking.

Ingredients for pesto (1 cup):
-2 cups fresh basil leaves
-1/3 cup walnuts or pine nuts, toasted (I used walnuts because they are cheaper and don't spoil as fast, but pine nuts are delicious)
-1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
-3 cloves garlic, peeled*
-1/2 cup olive oil, or more if needed
-salt and pepper to taste

*Martha Stewart recommends blanching the garlic to mellow its flavor, creating an overall sweeter pesto.  To blanch - place garlic cloves in a small sauce pan and cover with 1 inch of water.  Bring to a boil over high heat, then immediately drain and let garlic cool to room temperature.

To begin, toast the walnuts and then cool completely.  Combine basil, walnuts, garlic, and Parmesan cheese in food processor until everything in chopped into very small bits and the basil is pulverized.  While food processor is on, slowly add olive oil until the pesto is pretty smooth.  Use immediately on pasta, sandwiches, or pizza, or cover with a layer of oil and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Stay tuned for many delicious corn recipes!  Gotta run - I am making this amazing looking bread called Zucchini and Olive Breakfast Cake.  Click here for the recipe.

Garlic Scape Pesto

When it comes to pesto, I have made a couple varieties depending on what I have had on hand. Since I had gotten a few garlic scapes and a bunch of basil from my CSA, I thought this could be the perfect combination.

Traditionally, pesto is a mixture of basil, olive oil, pine nuts, garlic, and parmesan cheese. But you can do a lot of substituting. For example, I made mine with walnuts and garlic scapes instead. I feel the thing about pesto is that nothing has to be an exact measurement. Make it how you like it, whether you want to add more cheese or nuts, or less garlic, etc. That said, I just kind of put it together and tasted it as I went along, so feel free to improvise.

Here are the ingredients for my garlic scape pesto:
-1 cup basil leaves, packed
-2 garlic scapes, cut into 3 inch pieces
-1/4 cups walnuts
-1/4 or more of olive oil
-1/4 cup parmesan cheese, finely shredded
-salt and pepper to taste

To begin, chop garlic scapes into 3 inch pieces.
Place basil leaves, scapes, walnuts and 1/2 teaspoon of salt into food processor and pulse until combined.
Slowly add oil and process until smooth.
Transfer mixture into small bowl and mix in shredded parmesan. Season with salt and cracked pepper.
Use immediately on pasta, pizza, or bread. Or place covered in plastic wrap in the refrigerator up to a few days. You could even freeze it. Click here to learn how.