Garden Pesto
By Head Chef, Eddie Attwell
Simple garden pesto that is gluten, dairy, nut and vegan friendly.
A great way to get the best out of your herbs and be able to enjoy them year-round.
This is a handy recipe to use up small shoots from your garden which in turn will encourage more growth and with the use of chickweed, you have doubled up on keeping the weeds down.
Ingredients:
- 500g Mixed Herbs or Young Soft Leaves (Basil, Red Russian Kale, Chard & Chickweed)
- 50g Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
- 50g Untoasted Seed Mix (Linnum, Flaxseed & Sunflower)
- 50ml Neutral Oil (Sunflower or Pomace)
- 6 Garlic Cloves
- Extra Oil for Mixing
Method:
- To a bowl, add your green leaves and herbs and tear apart to make them smaller
- In a pan of boiling salted water, blanch the leaves and herbs. You will notice the leaves becoming vibrant in colour, but do not overcook as this colour will go
- Drain the blanched leaves and refresh them in iced water to stop the cooking process and to lock in the new vibrant colours
- Strain the leaves onto a cloth and squeeze out the excess water
- The seeds can be blended or ground depending on the texture you prefer. We used the toasted pumpkin seeds as a base as they have a stronger flavour
- The untoasted seeds have an almost creamy texture as they as they still contain their natural oils, so this is what we use as the cheese texture alternative while also lightening the taste
- In a pan gently toast the garlic cloves in the oil, then allow for them to cool
- Using a blender, start with by adding the garlic, the toasted seeds, garlic infused oil and then blitz them all together
- Add the herbs and leaves, then continue to blend to a paste. We always pulse in this process as to not heat up the pesto and keep it as fresh as possible
- Add oil to achieve your preferred consistency and season with salt
- Transfer to a bowl, now you can add more seeds to alter the flavours and consistency to your liking
- The garden pesto will freeze and store well
Add a little something extra to your dish
Pesto can be paired with most dishes, enjoy on bread as a condiment or dress it on your greens, beans and leaves salad.
The world is your oyster with this recipe, try adding your own twist!
